Former prime minister and a senior leader of the ruling PML-N Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was on Wednesday candid when he termed the outgoing National Assembly as the “worst in the history of the country” which did not do legislation for providing relief to masses.
In his farewell remarks on the floor of the lower house of parliament, Abbasi, the son of a decorated Air Force veteran Air Commodore Khaqan, he offered an apology to the countrymen on being part of it.
He said that not even a single piece of legislation in the last five years was done to ease masses woes.
He did not hesitate to say that the record of past five years’ legislation was a proof of his assertion. “If one sift the record, he will see all the government bills were not meant to provide relief to the people.”
Abbasi felt ashamed as “today people have lost confidence in the system, which could not be restored through meaningless legislation but with deeds.”
According to him, it might take a decade to turn around the country’s economy and held “everyone of us” responsible for it. He suggested to form a “truth commission” to find out “who did what with the country.”
The ex-premier pointed out that a number of parliamentarians were surrounding the interior minister today for his signatures for getting licenses. “Why this process cannot be streamlined,” he added.
“People say that all members of the assembly are corrupt and we show that they are correct,” he said, pointing out that 40 to 53 bills of private members were passed in the National Assembly in a matter of days.
It raised questions about the credibility of members of the house, he maintianed.
Abbasi was also critical of the National Assembly speaker for “causing unprecedented damage to the reputation of the house.”
He said that “the speaker is considered the custodian of the reputation and dignity of the house. Dignity of the house has taken a nosedive. There is an impression that parliamentarians come to plunder national wealth.”
He urged the chair and the members to take care of the dignity of the house.
He also raised questions about taxation system. “Whether parliamentarians pay taxes?” he asked and added “parliament has the power to give approval to impose taxes on masses, whereas parliamentarian themselves don’t pay taxes.”
“How the parliament could impose taxes on people when they themselves do not pay taxes. This is not leadership that you do not pay taxes but impose on people,” he stated.
Abbasi said the government was running by taking loans at 24% interest; the same is true for defence expenses and the functioning of the parliament.
Ironically, no one asked elected representatives about taxes. “I remained in NAB’s custody but I was never questioned whether I paid taxes or not,” he added.
He said that the previous regime also caused an irreparable loss to the dignity of the house when a member in custody was not produced, he used to remind the then-speaker of his responsibilities to act as the custodian of the house.
He recalled that every “un-parliamentary” act was committed and abusive language was used in the house during the previous regime’s tenure.
Later, talking to media outside parliament house, he said he did not wish the former prime minister arrested and imprisoned.
However, if the PTI chief is innocent, justice would eventually prevail, he added.
The ex-premier required a great deal of soul-searching on the actions that led to his incarceration, Abbasi concluded.
