Govt, opposition in political strife over usage of the word 'selected' for PM
Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri prohibited members of NA from using word 'selected' for the premier.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has stated that members [of the parliament] would be engaged in a consultation on whether deputy speaker of the National Assembly (NA) could prohibit calling prime minister a “selected” one.
Yesterday, deputy speaker Qasim Khan Suri termed the use of word “selected” for the prime minister “an insult of the entire house”, saying that every member, including himself, sitting there was an elected representative of the general public. He said legislators themselves damaged the sanctity of the house by using such words.
Earlier, speaking on a point of order, the Minister for Power, Omar Ayub Khan quoted some rules of the assembly and asked the deputy speaker to stop the opposition members from using the term “selected” for the premier and threatened that the ruling party members would move privilege motions against those who would use this term in future.
He also asked him to expunge this word from the house proceedings whenever used.
Sherry Rehman follows Zardari
On the other hand, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman asked if the prime minister was not “selected”, then why using this word was being prohibited [in NA].
“This word uttered by Bilawal has become Imran Khan’s identification,” she said, adding that yesterday the premier had rang out applause on the use of the word ‘selected’ and today he has put a ban on using it.
She further said that the prohibition showed his insecurity and termed it “ridiculous.”
“If Imran Khan had been made a councilor of Mianwali, then the country wouldn’t have been in such a state today,” she added, adding that if such a person, who was ineligible to win a seat even of a councilor, is “selected as prime minister”, then obviously the country would be devastated.
Marriyum Aurangzeb again utters the word
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Marriyum Aurangzeb on Monday, in her address to the House, unleashed fierce verbal attacks on Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan over what she called “third class performance of the incompetent government.”
She again called PM Khan “a selected one.”
To this, the deputy commissioner asked her to refrain from it.
Firdous Ashiq Awan fires back
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan responded to the opposition’s attack, and stated that the ban was imposed – on using the word selected for the PM – for preserving the sanctity of the parliament.
“The Maulana has organised the APC for complaining about his pain…and all focus would be towards the food,” she said in an ironic manner.
She added that the opposition, like always, was confused while adopting a single stance from the two.
