New parliament opens in Pakistan

[mujahideen]

New parliament opens in Pakistan

Pakistan's new parliament has convened for the first time since President Pervez Musharraf and his allies suffered a heavy blow in elections.
Correspondents say the stage is set for a confrontation between President Musharraf and the government.

The parties of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and another former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, have agreed a coalition.

More than 300 members of the National Assembly were sworn in.

The 18 February polls delivered a huge blow to President Musharraf's parliamentary allies, making his position more precarious.

The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of the late Ms Bhutto is expected to nominate a prime minister this week as it won the most seats in the election.

The chairman of Mr Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has confirmed to the BBC that the prime minister has been chosen from the PPP, but he declined to say who it was.

Ms Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, is not eligible to become prime minister, but wields considerable influence in the party.

"This is the last day of dictatorship," he told reporters in the parliament building.

"This is our first step. We have conveyed a message to the world community to support democracy which defeats dictatorship."

Members said prayers for Ms Bhutto during the session, which was held amid tight security.

The BBC's Barbara Plett says the coalition agreement between the PPP and PML-N, once bitter rivals, depends on the restoration of Supreme Court judges who were sacked by the president during emergency rule in November.

Correspondents say it is believed the judges were about to declare President Musharraf ineligible for a further term, and he has pledged to fight their reinstatement.

Mr Musharraf was re-elected as president by lawmakers in October, while he was still the army chief, in an election boycotted by the opposition as unconstitutional.

Main concern

The PML-N has agreed to take up posts in the cabinet, as demanded by the PPP.

The coalition of the two parties and their smaller allies still lack the two-thirds majority required should they wish to impeach President Musharraf.

However, they command enough support to undermine his authority in parliament.

Coalition leaders have threatened to curtail the president's powers - such as his ability to dissolve the assemblies and dismiss the prime minister - though it is unclear how far they will go.

The new government's most pressing concern is likely to be an Islamist insurgency that has claimed scores of lives in bomb attacks in the last few weeks.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan has been a key US ally in the "war on terror" and Washington hopes the new government will continue to work with it.

BBC NEWS | South Asia | New parliament opens in Pakistan

 

[mujahideen]

Pakistani parliament hostile to Musharraf sworn in

By Kamran Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's new National Assembly was sworn in on Monday, setting the scene for a showdown with President Pervez Musharraf a month after his opponents swept a general election.

Musharraf's allies were routed in the Feb. 18 vote, and he is faced with the prospect of inviting the victors, led by Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) to form a coalition that could drive him from power.

Pakistan's Western allies and neighbours fear a confrontation between the president and a new government will herald more upheavals in a nuclear-armed state reeling from a wave of militant bombings.

Security was tight outside parliament with police and paramilitary soldiers guarding the complex and restricting traffic on the avenue outside.

In a sign of looming confrontation with the isolated president, a PPP politician said members were taking their oaths under an old, democratic constitution, not the version Musharraf amended after he imposed emergency rule in November.

A member of the PPP's main coalition partner, the party led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, denounced Musharraf's 1999 coup in which he ousted Sharif.

The February election saw the PPP emerging with the most seats in the 342-member National Assembly but not enough to rule alone. Sharif's party came second, dealing a crushing defeat to the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League.

Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto's widower and political successor, signed an agreement this month to form a coalition with a small regional party.

Neither Zardari nor Sharif stood in the election but both turned up at parliament to watch the proceedings together from the visitors' gallery.

"It's the first step for democracy. We have sent this message to the world that democracy should be helped and democracy is the last day of dictatorship," Zardari told reporters.

The two main coalition party leaders have vowed to reinstate judges the president dismissed when he imposed a six-week stint of emergency rule in November.

If reinstated, the judges are expected to reopen legal challenges to Musharraf's re-election as president by legislators in October while he was still army chief. Musharraf's opponents say his re-election was unconstitutional.


PRAYERS FOR BHUTTO

Parliament may also try to amend the constitution to deprive Musharraf of his power to dismiss the government.

Musharraf has said he is ready to work with any government and has warned against confrontation.

Asked in a weekend interview with Geo Television how he would like to be remembered, he said: "I shall be remembered by the people as a person who has cared for the country, for the people and worked honestly and diligently for them."

In the latest violence to rock the country, at least nine militants were killed on Sunday by missiles fired by a U.S. aircraft in the South Waziristan tribal region, a haven for al Qaeda and Taliban fighters on the Afghan border.

The attack came a day after a Turkish woman and 11 people, including four U.S. FBI agents, were wounded in a bomb attack on a restaurant popular with foreigners in Islamabad.

Shortly after being sworn in, the assembly said prayers for Bhutto, killed in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi on Dec. 27.

Her party has yet to decide on its candidate for the post of prime minister.

Makhdoom Amin Fahim, a senior aide to Bhutto and Zardari's deputy, had been widely seen as the front-runner but his prospects dimmed after Sharif's party objected to his contacts with Musharraf.

There have been growing calls from within the PPP for Zardari to take up the job, but for now he is not eligible as he is not a National Assembly member.

© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved

 

[batmannow]

lets hope for the biggest and highst new records of civillized way of lootings and crouption?

 

[Imran Khan]

good news for pak people .we hope they do best for pakistan .

 

[mujahideen]

Nawaz, Zardari, Shujaat, Senators witness NA inaugural session

ISLAMABAD: The inaugural session of the 13th National Assembly was witnessed among others by Co-Chairman PPP Asif Ali Zardari, PML-N ‘Qaid’ Nawaz Sharif, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, members of Upper House, and former parliamentarians from visitors gallery. The visitors and press galleries were filled by the former and sitting parliamentarians, lawyer community, workers of political parties, bureaucrats, media persons and other people. Many people were also seen standing in the visitors’ galleries. Those who witnessed the oath taking ceremony included Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Nisar Memon, Senators Kamil Ali Agha, Tariq Azeem, Muhammad Ali Durrani, Rozina Alam, Saleh Shah, Ismail Bulehdi, Rahat Hussain, Tahir Hussain Mashadi, Amjad Abbas, Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, Azam Swati, Hafiz Abdul Malik and Anisa Zeb. Former Minister of State for Interior Shahzad Wasim and former President of AJK Barrister Sultan Mehmood were also watched the proceedings.

Courtesy Geo

 

[mujahideen]

National Assembly session adjourned till 19 March

ISLAMABAD: The 13th National Assembly session, which opened here Monday, has been adjourned till 19 March 11AM (Wednesday). The oath taking of the newly elected members of the National Assembly was completed in which 328 members of the house took oath. The nomination papers for the offices of speaker and deputy speaker will be received till 12:00 noon tomorrow (Tuesday). The election for the offices will be held on March 19. The proceedings of the house started 45 minutes late than the scheduled 11:00 am. After recitation of the holly Quran Speaker Chaudhry Ameer Hussain on request of Naveed Qamar said though the members have not yet took oath and were not entitled to speak but using his powers he is allowing him to speak. Syed Naveed Qamar before oath taking said that the members of PPP and allied parties would take oath under the un-amended unanimously passed constitution of 1973. “Under which constitution the members will take oath,” he inquired from the speaker. The speaker replied that the newly elected members would take oath as given in the IIIrd schedule of the 1973 constitution. After the speaker’s explanation 328 elected members of the house took oath. Before the oath taking the house observed one-minute silence to pay respects to assassinated former prime minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. After pray for Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, the speaker directed the secretary of National Assembly to call the members for signing the assembly roll. Asia Nasir was the first MNA who signed the roll, than Sardar Asif Ali signed the roll. After which the members were called alphabetically and they signed the assembly roll. 121 members of People’s Party, Muslim League (N) 91 members, ANP’s 13 members, 51 members of Q-League, 25 members of MQM, six members of MMA, five members of Functional League and 19 independents attended the assembly session. Co-chairman Pakistan People’s Party Asif Ali Zardari, Muslim League (N) Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif witnessed the house proceedings from the guests’ gallery.

Courtesy Geo

 

[mujahideen]

Bruising struggle for PM’s post continues: New MNAs take oath today

By Raja Asghar

ISLAMABAD, March 16: The new National Assembly opens on Monday under tight security to herald a promised spring of a democracy despite a bruising power struggle over the next prime minister, shadows of bloody violence and warnings of a confrontation with a powerful but isolated presidency.

A likely brief session for oath-taking by 334 newly elected members of the 342-seat lower house will mark the beginning of their five-year term, which will see the change of roles between the former ruling coalition of President Pervez Musharraf’s loyalists who lost and former opposition parties who won the Feb 18 general election.

But a tragedy at this historic milestone in Pakistan’s chequered political history will be the absence of Benazir Bhutto, who became a major catalyst of this transition from more than eights years of an iron-fisted military-led rule and could have been the star of the day if she had not been assassinated in a gun-and-bomb attack in Rawalpindi on Dec 27 immediately after she addressed a campaign rally of her Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

Though the PPP, as the largest single party in the National Assembly with 121 seats, is poised to take power in coalition with former bitter rival-turned-ally 91-seat Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and two other smaller partners, Ms Bhutto’s legacy is afflicted with a melodramatic power struggle so soon after her death.

The body language at Monday’s sitting could give some indication about the strength of Ms Bhutto’s own stated original choice for the office, PPP senior vice-chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim or any potential challenger favoured by her spouse and party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, or about whether Mr Zardari would himself take the job for which he must win a National Assembly seat in a by-election.

The issue of a prime minister’s choice has stolen part of the limelight from some of the other major issues of concern to the new assembly such as the potential face-off with the president over the coalition’s promise to restore about 60 superior court judges he sacked under his controversial Nov 3, 2007 emergency and the problems for the new government ranging from tackling militant violence to the citizens’ acute issues of bread and butter.

The PPP has promised to announce its prime ministerial candidate this week before the president calls a new session to elect a prime minister, which a parliamentary source said could be delayed to early next week because of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (birthday of the holy Prophet Mohammad, PBUH) falling on March 21 and the Pakistan Day on March 23.

A joint meeting of the coalition partners, including 13-seat Awami National Party and the newly inducted ally six-seat Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), will be held at 9am on Monday for what an alliance source called a get-together before marching into the house together as the would-be rulers for the inaugural session beginning at 11am as will do the members of the former ruling coalition led by the 51-seat Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and including 25-seat Muttahida Qaumi Movement and some smaller groups.

But the source said the majority coalition meeting was unlikely to consider the question of the future prime minister or its candidates for the offices of house speaker and deputy speaker, both of which must go to the PPP under the coalition agreement and will be announced by the party itself before their election on Wednesday.

The meeting will be jointly chaired by Mr Zardari and Mr Fahim from the PPP, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan and MMA leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the source said.

Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif, as well as PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif — all of whom are not members of the house --- will then take seats in the prime minister’s box for visitors to watch the lawmakers administered oath by outgoing Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain.Some questions are likely to be asked before the oath-taking over whether the members will take oath under the Constitution as it existed before the Nov 3 emergency or the one as amended by President Musharraf under his emergency powers in his now abandoned position of chief of the army staff to protect his actions such as a Provisional Constitution Order used to sack the judges.

But parliamentary sources said the issue might not be taken very far as there had been no change in the text of the members’ oath, which they will read out together in following the words of the speaker.

Meanwhile, security arrangements in Islamabad have been tightened to guard against any terrorist attacks on the occasion of the assembly’s inauguration, particularly after Saturday’s bomb attack on a restaurant popular with foreigners that killed a Turkish woman and wounded more than a dozen others.

The capital’s Constitution Avenue, on which the parliament house is located, was declared a “red zone”, barred for unauthorised or uninvited people.

Bruising struggle for PM’s post continues: New MNAs take oath today -DAWN - Top Stories; March 17, 2008

 

[mujahideen]

Musharraf terms NA session historic

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

ISLAMABAD - Terming the convening of new Parliament as a historic event, President Pervez Musharraf on Monday expressed confidence that Pakistan would continue to make progress on the path of democracy and economic growth.
He was talking to Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, former US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, who also currently holds Chair of the Asia Society, according to an official statement.
The New York based Asia Society is the leading global organization whose mission is to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States.
During the meeting, Ambassador Holbrooke appreciated President’s commitment to democracy and the holding of peaceful election.
President Musharraf said the new Assembly had come into being as a result of free, fair, transparent and peaceful election.
During the meeting, views were exchanged on recent political developments, Pakistan-US relations and regional situation. Holbrooke also underlined the importance that the US attaches to its relationship with Pakistan.
President Musharraf reiterated Pakistan’s firm resolve to fight extremism and terrorism. In this context, he highlighted the multi-pronged strategy being followed in FATA comprising military, political and socio-economic components.
The President underlined the importance of accelerated progress on initiatives like Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) and support for the FATA development plan.
Ambassador Holbrooke agreed on the need for enhanced US support for such initiatives.

The Nation

 

[mujahideen]

'First day in school'

Afzal Bajwa

ISLAMABAD - Sitting in visitors’ gallery from the lost position of a kingmaker was naturally hard for Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q). A little after the new Assembly’s oath, Shujaat, sitting in one of the parliament chambers, was entirely a different man.
Although the boredom and anxiety of defeat his party had to face in the February 18 elections, with his failing health added to it, but using minimum possible words, as he normally does, he dropped precarious hints like a seasoned commander losing a war.
Chaudhry’s response to the inquisitive media people started with typically brushing aside reports about forward bloc in his party, and culminated at indicating that they had not lost the war as yet. “You would come to know very soon,” he said sans elaboration as if he was holding many trump cards close to his chest.
Insiders, when counter-checked about Chaudhry’s challenging media statement, observed that he could say so since he held yet another meeting just the other day with the master of the regime still holding the Presidency as firm as ever. The sources claimed that the Chaudhrys of Gujrat were having strong connections even across the political divides in the country, either through the Presidency or through local contacts.
They claimed that the Chaudhrys of Gujrat were using their entire grapevine to create ripples both between the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Pakistan Muslim League (N), and also within the PPP. The sources further pointed out that the statements from the PML-N, hitting the PPP hopeful of premiership, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, and propagation of the likelihood of a PM candidate from Punjab, are en route Gujrat.
Notwithstanding Khawaja Asif of the PML-N was the first to air the so-called concerns of his party about Makhdoom, the two (Shujaat and Asif) were seen chatting for quite some time in the hall just before the session. Their brief meeting was understandable in the context of reported rapprochement achieved during a joint meeting of the coalition leaders.
In addition to jubilation of the majority winners, it was a time to eulogize the PML-N leaders Mian Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, who were welcomed with desk thumping by the House. To re-enter the House, though up to the visitors’ gallery, after eight and half long years, was really a historic moment for the Sharifs, who had to stay in exile for over seven years after the military coup against their then government in October 1999.
Apart from the so-called underground game the political stalwarts were playing in the House, and on the sidelines of the opening session, it was altogether a different scene for the newcomers. The portrayal of the NA hall, just before the start of the session, as observed from the Press Gallery, was quite like the children’s first day in school looking for their seats that were arranged according to the alphabetical order. Therefore, a journalist dubbing it in an innovative way said, “It is the first day in school of the second graduate assembly of the country.”
Alphabetical seating order created novel opportunities for members who otherwise might not have been able to sit side by side, for instance, Farzana Raja of the PPP sitting next to former Opposition Leader Fazalur Rehman.
Chaudhry Wajhat Hussain, brother of Chaudhry Shujat Hussain, who used to control the proceedings during the last term of the Assembly by using body language and signals to Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain, had to wait till the last moment for signing his roll, again a condition imposed by the alphabetical order.

The Nation

 

[mujahideen]

Record 76 female lawmakers in NA

ISLAMABAD: A record 72 female lawmakers took oath as National Assembly members on Monday. Sixty women were elected on reserved seats and 16 secured NA seats in elections. Of 35 seats reserved for women in Punjab, the PML-N got 16; PPP 12; and PML-Q seven. The PPP secured seven; MQM five; and PML-Q and PML-F one seat each reserved for Sindh’s women. The ANP and PPP got three reserved seats each, and the PML-N one seat, in NWFP. In Balochistan, the PPP, PML-Q, and MMA secured one reserved seat each. app

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[mujahideen]

Mirza and Kundi nominated as speaker, deputy speaker of NA

ISLAMABAD: A joint parliamentary meeting of the coalition partners in the new government on Monday unanimously nominated Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s Fehmida Mirza and Faisal Karim Kundi to the offices of speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly. Conversely, a joint meeting of the opposition nominated PML-Q’s Israr Tareen for the post of NA speaker. Both meetings were held at Parliament House before the inaugural session of the NA. Addressing the newly elected members, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif reiterated their commitment to restore the pre-November 3 judiciary through parliament. Mirza and Kundi received their nomination papers after the meeting. The process of their scrutiny will be completed on Tuesday. The election would take place on Wednesday. The heads of the component parties of the coalition also held a separate meeting in which they discussed the names of the candidates for premiership. They also discussed the means to draft a parliamentary resolution to restore the sacked judiciary and deliberated on a strategy to counter any move to block it. Separately, Khurshid Shah, senior PPP member, told reporters that the coalition government’s candidate for premiership would be announced on Thursday, AFP reported.

muhammad bilal
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[mujahideen]

Record 192 newcomers in NA

ISLAMABAD: Around 192 of the 328 members who won the general elections for seats in the National Assembly are newcomers, marking a record number of new faces in the lower house. The first-timers include 19 members from the NWFP, 77 from Punjab, 28 from Sindh, 11 from Balochistan and seven from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. However, results of 14 seats are still pending, because of litigation on 10 and postponement or termination of elections in four constituencies.

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[mujahideen]

PPP names Fahmida for post of NA speaker

By Amir Wasim

ISLAMABAD, March 17: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Monday named Dr Fahmida Mirza and Faisal Karim Kundi as its candidates for the posts of speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly, in a move that observers said could affect the choice of the prime minister and cause ripples in the party.

The election for the two offices is due on Wednesday when the lower house of parliament will meet at 11am.

The 51-year-old Dr Mirza, who became an MNA for the third consecutive term from Badin, will be the first woman speaker of the National Assembly.

She is an agriculturist and businesswoman by profession, although she is a medical graduate from the Liaquat Medical College, Jamshoro. Mr Kundi has been elected to the National Assembly for the first time.

PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar said the party leadership had asked the candidates to file their nomination papers on Tuesday. Dr Mirza will face Sardar Israr Tareen of the PML-Q from Balochistan and Mr Kundi’s opponent will be Khushbakht Shujaat of the MQM.

The decision to nominate Dr Mirza as speaker could further diminish the chances of Makhdoom Amin Fahim to become prime minister as it is largely believed that after giving the two main parliamentary offices to Sindh and the NWFP, the leader of the house must be from Punjab.

Sources told Dawn that there was great resentment within the PPP over Mr Zardari’s decision to nominate Dr Mirza. A PPP MNA from Sindh said the decision could be “disastrous” for the party because it appeared that Mr Zardari was interested in accommodating his friends.

Dr Mirza is the wife of Zulfiqar Mirza, MPA-elect from Sindh and a close friend of Mr Zardari. The sources said Mr Mirza was also expected to get a good position in the Sindh cabinet.

Meanwhile, Makhdoom Amin Fahim met Mr Zardari for the third time in a week, ostensibly in an effort to resolve their differences over the nomination of a candidate for the prime minister’s post.

The special committee of the PPP and the PML-N met to discuss the distribution of cabinet positions among the coalition partners. Sources said the meeting ended without any agreement because of differences on allocation of some ministries.

PPP names Fahmida for post of NA speaker -DAWN - Top Stories; March 18, 2008

 

[mujahideen]

NA oath-taking overshadowed by power struggle in PPP

By Raja Asghar

ISLAMABAD, March 17: The new National Assembly gave Makhdoom Amin Fahim a big applause at its opening on Monday although his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) remained undecided about his candidacy for prime minister to lead what would be a landmark coalition of former rivals.

The oath-taking by 329 newly-elected law-makers marked the beginning of a five-year term of the 342-seat lower house in which the opponents of President Pervez Musharraf have acquired a two-thirds majority after the Feb 18 general election to be able to form a comfortable government and pose a potent challenge to his sweeping powers.

Held under tight security amid a nationwide wave of militant violence, the occasion also meant a change of roles between the present political rivals.

The PPP-led coalition of former opposition parties is poised to take power after more than eight years of military-led rule and the previous pro-Musharraf ruling coalition led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Q is to take the role of opposition though it will put up Farooq Sattar of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement for a token contest against whoever the PPP finally names as its prime ministerial candidate.

A bitter power struggle within the PPP over the next prime minister overshadowed the inauguration of the new National Assembly as well as its potential confrontation with the president over the restoration of about 60 judges of superior courts he sacked under his controversial Nov 3, 2007 emergency, the problem of his sweeping powers under which he can sack a prime minister and dissolve the National Assembly, and the next government’s immediate problems of tackling militant violence and economic hardships.

A wave of more than two weeks of a whispering campaign against Mr Fahim took a new turn on Monday when posters against him appeared outside the Parliament House just before a joint meeting of the parliamentary groups of the PPP and other coalition partners — the Pakistan Muslim League-N, the Awami National Party and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.The posters, which a PPP source said could be the work of some intelligence agency, were removed on the initiative of a PPP parliamentary official before the start of the meeting, which was jointly chaired by PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Mr Fahim as president of the party’s parliamentary arm of PPP Parliamentarians, PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, ANP president Asfandyar Wali Khan and MMA secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

But rumours about the possible consequences of the perceived rift in the PPP continued to swirl in the galleries before the focus shifted to the administration of oath to the members by outgoing Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain while non-members Mr Zardari and Mr Sharif watched part of the proceedings from what is known as the Prime Minister’s Gallery and PML-Q president Shujaat Hussain, who failed to win any of the seats he contested in the Feb 18 vote, from the Speaker’s Gallery.

As Mr Fahim’s turn came to sign the roll after the oath-taking midway through more than three hours of proceedings, he got the best of the applause prominent members received on the day. Members of the PPP-led coalition as well as from other parties cheered by desk-thumping when his name was called and then there was a louder repeat of the ovation when he went to the dais to sign the register.

A beaming Fahim went around the house to thank members and have brief chats with them.

CHANGE OF HEART OR PLOY: It was not immediately clear if the ovation for Mr Fahim reflected a change of heart on the part of Mr Zardari, whose present position has given him the last word in the choice and who had appeared in recent days having second thoughts about the most senior party figure’s candidature, or just a damage-control ploy after weeks of a bitter controversy, fuelled by a nascent but fiercely competitive electronic media, seemed to reflect on the party’s new leadership so soon after the Dec 27 assassination of party leader Benazir Bhutto.

A special prayer was offered for Ms Bhutto before the oath-taking proceedings started after overcoming a brief hitch caused by a point raised by PPP’s Naveed Qamar that members of what will be the new ruling coalition did not recognise amendments in the constitution decreed by the president under the Nov 3 emergency in his now abandoned capacity of the chief of the army staff.

The matter seemed resolved by the Speaker’s explanation that no change had been made in the text of the oath. But still the coalition members twice added spoken words to the text of oath as read out by the chair to make it clear they were committing to protect the Constitution as it existed before the Nov 3 emergency.

PAT FOR A NEMESIS: Another highlight of the sitting was Speaker Hussain’s pat for a woman who became his nemesis in the election, which saw several pillars of the former ruling party falling, including party president Shujaat Hussain and several ministers of the previous cabinet.

Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan, who contested as a PPP candidate after defecting the PML-Q as an MNA, defeated Mr Hussain in his home constituency in the Sialkot district of the Punjab province despite the influence he allegedly used as Speaker and acting president for a brief period when President Musharraf was on a foreign trip.

Dr Awan went to the speaker’s chair after signing the roll and, according to her, made an ironic request for a ‘shabash’ (appreciation) from him.

The speaker was seen patting on the head of the member who later told reporters he also said: “Well done!”

BURQA-LESS HOUSE: It was a burqa-less house as none of the women members wore that veil mainly because of the virtual rout of a divided MMA alliance of religious parties in the election.

The previous National Assembly had 12 MMA and one PPP burqa-clad members. The only MMA woman member elected this time to a reserved seat for non-Muslim minority communities from Balochistan province, Asia Nasir, is a Christian who doesn’t wear a veil and neither of the other parties has a burqa-wearing member. Only one woman member in the house, whose affiliation was not immediately known, covered her lips and chin with her traditional chador.

NA oath-taking overshadowed by power struggle in PPP -DAWN - Top Stories; March 18, 2008

 

[mujahideen]

Hopes and fears as new NA meets

By Amir Mateen

THE oath-taking of the new National Assembly seemed more as the beginning of the new era than the end of the old politically controlled set-up.

It was different in mood and style from all similar occasions in the past. On the surface, the ritual of oath-taking went off smoothly, much in contrast to earlier such exercises. There was no display of the ‘go-go’ heckling or desk-thumping. Even the controversial issue over the oath whether the members were swearing by the original 1973 Constitution or the PCO-amended version was resolved soberly in a minute. Speaker Ameer Hussain, perhaps seeing the tide changing, was quick to clarify that there was no change in the wording of the oath. Yet the PPP-PMLN allies took no chance and loudly added words that ensured they were swearing by the Constitution as it was before the (November 2007) emergency.

It was obvious that beneath this restrained collective demeanor lay the latent anger that the PPP, PML-N and allies were saving for the final showdown with President Musharraf. Whether this will take place in days, weeks or months and how will determine the shape of future politics in Pakistan.

There were ironies galore. Speaker Ameer Hussain must have been in pain to take oath from his diminutive nemesis Firdaus Ashiq Awan.

The arrival of Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif in the visiting galleries was marked by thunderous desk thumping whereas the presence of Chaudhry Shujaat in the other gallery, despite his frightening eye-shades, was not even acknowledged. Younger cousin Pervaiz Elahi also looked visibly coy. Gone was the bravado of fighting it out to the last. He seemed to have gone back from the newly acquired Goergio Armani prime ministerial suiting to his old made-in-Gujrat overly starched traditional dressing.

It must have been dampening for him that many PML-Q members and allies like PML-F failed to turn up at the parliamentary party meeting. Imagine the precarious situation of somebody like Pervaiz Elahi, who had always been a member of the Punjab cabinet or speaker of the provincial assembly in his record 24-year political career, except for three years in Benazir’s second government. Unlike the two heavyweights sitting across him in the galleries, Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari, Pervaiz Elahi had never been to jail, never got exiled or saw his property seized. It will be quite a challenge for him to survive the rigours of the leader of the opposition, if at all his party rebels let him hold the mantle.

Similar nervousness was noticed among the few PML-Q senators or former MNAs that had taken the chance to see the proceedings. The big guns like five-time winner Sheikh Rashid, Sher Afgan and Hamayun Akhtar chose to stay away. The troika of Senators Mohammad Ali Durrani, Azeem Tariq, and Kamil Ali Agha, who provided verbal fodder to talk shows on daily basis, looked dumbfounded in the galleries. The fateha for Benazir stirred up a sense of sadness all across. It was ironic that the party that owes its power to Benazir had not invited the people she would have liked to see at her political vindication. While Bashir Riaz, Nahid Khan and Amna Piracha were noticed for their absence, the likes of new-comers like Hussain Haqqani and Babar Awan seemed to monopolise everything. May God help Asif Zardari, quipped a friend in the press gallery.

There was hardly any diplomat, general or a member of the judiciary present in the galleries, something that fellow hacks thought made the place lesser target for desperados of you know which kind.

Branded suiting

While PPP and PML-N maintained sober outlook, the MQM members were noticed for their flamboyance. The qameez-pyjama of yore had been replaced by expensive branded suiting. Perhaps Altaf Bhai should take note of this, a colleague could not resist pointing out to an MQM member.

On a serious note, the occasion evoked a mixed feeling of hopes and fears. It was the first time in the history of the country that two opposing parties have decided to share power in a transparent and congenial way. There was a general feeling of hope in the parliament that the PPP-PMLN may have learnt their lessons; they would stay together to deliver on the issue of the judiciary, the president and economic stability; they would evolve a consensus among political parties of all shades to deal with the ever increasing terrorism and devise policy about the so-called war on terrorism.

So far, most pundits in the cafeteria agreed, both parties have shown tremendous maturity in evolving the Bhurban declaration. But there were fears as well. The survival of coalition governments in the centre and all four provinces, for the first time in this country, is too good to be true. The biggest fear is that the two parties may not stay together for long.

In fact, there are more fears about the PPP than the PML-N. There was a feeling that Asif Zardari may have already mishandled the issue over the selection of the prime minister. The constant change of positions and letting the issue become a joke for the media to savour on it may have caused irreparable rift in the party. Our cafeteria pundits agreed that Amin Fahim has little chance of staging any revolt in the party at this stage. The party has come into power after 12 years and everybody wants a piece of the pie in government. He may damage his career if he falls for any trap laid down by the establishment in fighting it out with Asif at this stage. But the fact remains that a few months down the lane, when things may start to fall apart with the allies or within the party, this rift may cause graver damage to the party solidarity. A PPP member, who requested not be named, aptly said that if Benazir had to deny Makhdoom Amin Fahim the prime ministership she would have done it in such smooth way that the latter would not have felt insulted. “It’s the insult that has pinched the Makhdoom more than the denial,” said the PPP member.

Question of integrity

Others were sceptical about the eyes and ears of Asif Zardari. He may have been purged by the courts but there may still be many doubts among the public about his moral and economic integrity. “If Asif brings people with doubtful credentials the party is doomed from the start,” said the PPP member.

Another issue is over the absolute concentration of power in the hands of Asif Zardari. Journalists in the cafeteria were trying to check out top PPP members if they knew about the selection of the prime minister or the members of the cabinet. Nobody seemed to have any idea. Ahmad Mukhtar had to swear that he had not idea if he was being made the prime minister. “Believe me I have no idea about myself or any other cabinet member,” he said at the cafeteria.

Assef Ahmad Ali, the sardar who was called for signing as MNA right at noon time, was equally at sea when asked if he was becoming the foreign minister. “I have no idea about anything,” he said when bombarded with questions.

Many thought even Benazir did not keep as much decision making to her as Asif was doing.

Such may be the issues that keep the hopes of survival in the PML-Q and the president alive. But then these issues may take months, if not years to erupt, if at all they do, the moment of reckoning for the president may be far nearer.

Sardar Assef insisted that he (the president) would resign just by the moral and political pressure that he would face in the coming days. Imagine a situation when he has no paraphernalia of officers to defend him, no intelligence agencies to do the dirty works, no control of PTV and Pemra to stop the ever aggressive media, he will have little chance to survive. Even the party that he took years to tailor is clearly distancing itself from him. “When was the last time you saw any statement from the Chaudhrys in his favour,” asked Ahmad Mukhtar.

Insiders insist that the fuss over the reinstatement of judges may just be a decoy. If the president is removed, the judiciary issue will get resolved overnight. They say that the numbers game for the impeachment of the president is close to its target. “The cat will come out of the bag when the Senate Chairman is voted out,” said an insider. If you add the 26-seat margin that the coalition has over and above the two-thirds majority of 228 seats in the National Assembly, this is all that you need for the impeachment.”

Fellow pen-pushers have their fingers crossed. But this goes without saying that the showdown will happen much earlier than the PML-Q might think.

Speaker Ameer Hussain’s parting gift to the president was the verse of the Quran that he chose for recitation for the new assembly. The verse, which summons people to obey their rulers, has been misinterpreted and misused by suppressive monarchs and dictators in history. It did not work for Ayub Khan and Ziaul Haq. We shall see how Musharraf fares on this count.

Hopes and fears as new NA meets -DAWN - Top Stories; March 18, 2008