The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Jamat-e-Islami (JI) staged a walkout during Thursday's proceedings as well in protest against what they deemed was the inappropriate behaviour of the Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who left the house during a speech by Opposition leader Khursheed Shah.
The protesting lawmakers held placards inscribing with slogans in favour of the arrested OGDCL workers and against the privatisation of the company before walking out.
“We condemn the arrests as well as the rejection of bail applications of the employees of the OGDCL and also condemned the abusive language used by the interior minister on the floor of the House against the Opposition," said PPP lawmaker Shazia Marri, who spoke on behalf of her party on a point of order.
“The action against OGDCL workers is condemnable and despite assurance to the Opposition leader by the government to release the workers, their bail applications were rejected in court," said Marri.
She claimed that the OGDCL workers were subjected to severe by the police. The PPP leader also said that OGDCL is a profitable organisation and selling its share would be against the interest of the country.
“We will never leave these workers alone and the PPP would support them at all the occasions," said Marri.
JI parliamentary leader Sahibazad Tariqullah said that OGDCL's privatisation is not only against the interest of workers, but also against national interest.
He said that it was a matter of concern that protesting workers were not only beaten up by the police, but cases were also furnished against them.
ANP leader Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said that the government was displaying double standards by arresting the peaceful OGDCL workers on one hand, while letting those protesting in a violent manner in the Red Zone enjoy governments’ protocol on the other.
However, Sate Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab said that government had no plans to privatise the OGDCL and assured that none of the workers would be laid off.
“We will protect the rights of workers anywhere in the country," he said.
Defending the police's action against the workers, he said Section 144 was imposed in Islamabad and the protesters had not only violated it, but they also injured a DSP and police constable.
Sheikh claimed that purpose of the Opposition's walkout from the proceeding was not the OGDCL issue, but the fact that they were unhappy with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's successful economic policies and programmes.
The minister further claimed that the opposition parties know that the PML-N economic and energy policies will end load-shedding and the energy crisis in five years and the party would go on to win the elections in 2018 based on its performance, and were threatened by it.
He said that the Opposition should show respect to the majority party in Parliament as they had done with the PPP during the last five years despite the fact that it did not enjoy no majority in Parliament. “We invite the Opposition to come and work with the government to pull the country out of economic and energy crisis," he maintained.
Later, Hindu MNAs Dr Ramesh lal and Dr Darshan raised the issue of the abduction of a 13-year-old Hindu girl from interior Sindh.
They said that minorities were not safe in the country, particularly in Sindh. Despite the insistence of the minority MNAs, the deputy speaker did not form a joint committee to look into the issue and referred it to the standing committee on law and justice.
The house was later prorogued.
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Has Express Tribune fired all their editorial staff? The number of English Language errors in this report is extremely disappointing, to say the least.
Where were these cowards when KPK government and IK were protesting and fighting in courts against privatisation of OGDL.