Opposition expresses concerns over talks of presidential system of govt

ISLAMABAD: The opposition on Friday raised serious concerns over talks about a presidential form of government in the country.

PML-N lawmaker Ahsan Iqbal, when given the floor by the speaker, criticised the concept of the presidential form of system about which talks are being circulated at the moment.

“We do not need any enemy if we cannot decide in 75 years as to what sort of system we need,” said the former planning minister. He also wondered as to who was floating news about bringing a presidential form of government in the country.

Iqbal reminded the House that it was the presidential system that divided Pakistan. He said Quaid-e-Azam preferred the parliamentary system of government for Pakistan and later on the same concept was adopted in 1956 in the form of the first constitution.

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The PML-N general secretary said that former dictator General Ayub Khan ruled Pakistan for 10 years as president and General Yahya Khan ruled the country for three and half years and during his term as president Pakistan collapsed. Shaikh Mujeeb had been continuously demanding the elimination of martial law from the country before the Dhaka fall, he added.

Iqbal said that General Zia ruled the country for 11 years and during this regime, the culture of Klanshinkov flourished and extremism intensified in the country. He said during the same era the movement of Sindho Desh was initiated.

Later on, he said, General Musharraf ruled the country for nine years. He said PPP is present in the House to give accountability of things which were made during the period of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and PML-N is responsible for doings of Mian Nawaz Sharif. However, he said, who is answerable for the decisions made when dictators took over the country. He said the presidential system can create dictators only. He asked for holding a debate on the matter so that this issue could be resolved once forever. He said every citizen of Pakistan would strongly resist a movement like it.

Agha Rafiullah of PPPP also talked on the matter and demanded an inquiry to ascertain the elements behind such rumours.

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Earlier Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated that contempt charges have been framed against Rana Shamim. He said the former Gilgit Baltistan chief justice committed contempt of court and this was done to tint the credibility of the Islamabad High Court.

He said matter of affidavit surfaced after three years and no one talked on it for the mentioned period. Ironically, he said the judge against whom allegations were levelled was not a member of the bench who was hearing the case in question.

Qureshi said that the government during the last three years took difficult decisions and now the economy of the country is on the right track. He said the economy was growing at 5.3 per cent. He said the opposition is right when it says that the price of fertilizer has increased. He said there is a need to look into the matter as to why the price of fertilizer witnessed a surge.

Qureshi admitted that higher inflation was a challenge for the government and not the opposition. He said well-aware persons know the reasons behind inflation.

Later on, the Speaker National Assembly prorogued the session for an indefinite period.