“Emotions, Complaints, Rebuttals: Lawmakers express outrage over arrests of PTI MNAs from prliament

Discussion at the National Assembly (NA) turned heated following the arrest of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers from the Parliament premises. At the same time, chairman PTI Barrister Gohar Khan announced a boycott of the NA proceeding.

Commenting on the First Information Report (FIR) registered against PTI lawmakers based on a new Public Order Act, Barrister Gohar said that no other country has a law to register complaints against the delay of a rally.

He cleared that complaints had been lodged against him for carrying a gun and pistols alongside him, raising the question of FIR authenticity.

He stated that the rally was delayed amid road blockages, which prevented the Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Ali Amin Gandapur, from reaching the Sangjani area for the rally.

Recording a party protest, Barrister stressed, “Except nine to ten PTI lawmakers, no other MNA would attend the NA proceedings until the September 10 inquiry.”

Responding to Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto’s concerns about the PTI’s lawmaker resignation from Parliament, Gohar clarified: “Under no circumstance would the PTI resign from the parliament or any assembly, nor have we announced as such.”

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Atta Tarar has claimed that CCTV footage evidence shows no Member National Assembly (MNA) were arrested from parliament premises by federal capital police, which the opposition vehemently rejected.

Responding to the MNA’s arrest from parliament premises, Bilawal said, “If the government functions only to plan who to arrest today, don’t be happy; we (all lawmakers) are next in the queue.”

“Opposition shining his politics by the harsh language against journalists and judges,” he said.

He said the PTI’s leadership can fight the case for Imran Khan but, in parliament, serve the people of Pakistan.

“Constructively criticise the incumbent government instead of abusing,” he further advised.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif remarked, “No MNA would have been apprehended if CM KP Gandapur hadn’t used controversial language.”

“Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders have been imprisoned in the past to save democracy, but why is there so much drama on Khan’s arrest?” he concluded.