ALI HUSSAIN

ISLAMABAD: The government was left red-faced in National Assembly on Friday as opposition lawmakers staged a walkout amid budget speech by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar with “go Nawaz go” slogans in presence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

As soon as the budget session commenced and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar was given the floor by Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq to present Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government’s fifth federal budget, lawmakers from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and other opposition parties stood up to speak on points of order.

The lawmakers especially PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi wanted to raise his voice against the use of force on protesting farmers in the federal capital but the Speaker declined to give the floor, saying it has never been a parliamentary precedent to allow points of order ahead of the budget speech. However, after a little uproar inside the House by the opposition lawmaker who were also wearing black ribbons, the chair gave the floor to Leader of the Opposition Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah to speak who strongly condemned the use of force against protesting farmers and dubbed the move with the practices in dictatorial regimes where the citizens are not granted the right to protest. “The sacrifices we have rendered in dictatorial regimes [for the restoration of democracy] were not meant that a democratic government would adopt the policies of dictators and subject the farmers to the brutal use of force,” Shah lamented and the opposition lawmakers responded with high-rise slogans as “shame, shame.”

Shah said that there were only 2,000 to 3,000 farmers who were demanding their rights. “Why were they baton-charged as they were protesting peacefully outside the Red Zone? Instead of listening to their just demands, the police tear-gassed and used rubber bullets to disperse them. Is there any difference between you and a dictator?” Shah posed a question apparently to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who was also present in the House.

Soon after the opposition leader winded up his point, Shah Mehmood Qureshi again sought the floor but the speaker instead invited the Finance Minister to present the budget before the House.

Probably, for the first time after the Panama Papers issue, the Prime Minister faced the slogans of “go Nawaz go” inside the House in his rare show up to National Assembly since the opposition parties launched anti-Sharif drive.

Before leaving the House in protest for a token walkout, the opposition lawmakers protested inside the House and also raised slogans as “liar” to challenge the budgetary statistics and figures presented by the finance minister.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab and Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq were trying to calm down the opposition members but they continued to raise the slogans. The protesting opposition members, however, rejoined the proceedings after a token walkout.