Opposition will approach SC for adjudication of House proceedings, warns Khawaja Asif

PML-N leader Khawaja Asif on Friday warned that the opposition would approach the Supreme Court for a legal interpretation of the Constitution to decide if the government's move to pass bills without holding a debate was in accordance with the law.

"If we (the opposition) do not get justice from this House, we will be forced to knock on the door of the neighbouring building and ask for an interpretation of the Constitution," Asif said during the National Assembly sitting. He was referring to the Supreme Court building, which is located next to Parliament House.

The former defence minister lamented the government's "total disregard" of the opposition's reservations on proposed laws and said: "A person, who comes to power through free and fair elections, [...] would never sit on this seat and do what was done here yesterday. This House is ashamed."

Yesterday, the session of the lower house of parliament started after Prime Minister Imran Khan held a meeting of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) parliamentary committee in Parliament House, where he directed his party's legislators to get all the bills passed, especially the one aimed at replacing the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) with the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC). The prime minister remained in his chamber in Parliament House till the session of the lower house was adjourned until. Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri got the 11 ordinances passed in such haste that no time was given to legislators to hold a proper debate on them. He turned a deaf ear to the opposition members belonging to all main opposition parties, who tore up copies of the bills, threw them towards the deputy speaker and converged on the speaker's dais.

The opposition rejected passage of the ordinances and termed it "unconstitutional" and vowed to bring a no-confidence motion against the deputy speaker.

During his address in the assembly, Asif cautioned that "democracy would be ruined" if the government kept up this attitude. The PML-N leader also criticised members of the ruling party and said: "It is because of this naivety that Niazi sahib has to listen to taunts."

He further said that the hasty passage of bills by the assembly was not a "good omen".

"Our federation cannot survive without democracy," said Asif. "Democracy is the only relation that has kept this federation united."

He urged National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to "become an advocate for democracy and the supremacy of the House" instead of one party.