PESHAWAR, June 20: After health minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai shot from the hip, the Khyber Assembly saw a shouting match between an inexperienced treasury and vociferous opposition on Thursday.
Mr Yousafzai, who also serves as the provincial government spokesman, passed off-the-cuff remarks when two opposition members on points of order spoke on the killing of 38 people in the Mardan suicide attack, including PTI MPA Imran Khan Mohmand, and death of a woman due to the alleged negligence of doctors at Lady Reading Hospital.
Nighat Yasmin Orakzai of Pakistan People’s Party and Mufti Syed Janan of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl through their points of order condemned killings of innocent people in suicide attack. Ms Orakzai said Jamaat-i-Islami, coalition partner of the ruling PTI, was morally bound to condemn barbarism of terrorists.
She also criticised management of the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) for not hospitalizing a critically-ill woman who later expired in a private clinic. She asked health minister to visit hospitals and police stations in Peshawar to ascertain the problems faced by the people.
Mufti Syed Janan seconded the mover and lamented killing of innocent people in the so-called war on terrorism. “For God sake, stop killing people,” he said, adding that insurgents were carrying out acts of terrorism in presence of military troops.
Journalist-turned-politician Yousafzai while responding to the opposition’s point of orders said: “What the hell has broken loose on which the opposition is making hue and cry?”
The remarks irritated the tiny opposition, which found them the statement insensitive.
Making desperate attempts to control the damage and pacify the opposition, the minister immediately announced that he withdrew his remarks and requested MPAs to give him opportunity to explain his point of view.
However, the opposition benches did not listen to his request. The minister’s logic was that suicide attacks could be stopped only when the government should review its policy regarding war on terrorism.
The PTI MPAs, especially youngsters, shouted at the opposition members asking them to stay calm. Deputy speaker Imtiaz Qureshi, who was chairing the session, seemed helpless in bringing house in order. Provincial minister Yousaf Ayub Khan came to his rescue and requested the chair to invite opposition leader Sardar Mehtab Abbasi to open debate on the budget.
He said the government should show a lot of responsibility to make the assembly business serious and solve the people’s problems. He said that opposition should also show maturity.The House later offered Fateha for MPA Imran Mohmand and others, who died in Mardan terrorist attack. —Bureau Report