A heated debate unfolded in the Senate on Monday as Leader of the Opposition Raja Nasir Abbas raised concerns over the health of the founder of PTI and criticised the locking of Parliament’s gates during a planned protest.
Addressing the House, Raja Nasir Abbas said the issue related to the vision problem in one eye of the PTI founder and stressed that parliamentarians had decided to stage a peaceful protest outside Parliament over the matter. However, he claimed that when lawmakers moved outside, the gates of Parliament were locked.
“Isn’t locking the doors of Parliament an insult to Parliament itself?” he questioned, calling the move a violation of fundamental rights.
He said the opposition’s demand was that the PTI founder be provided medical treatment in a manner that satisfies his family. He added that shifting him to hospital would not have caused any harm and urged the government to end what he described as distrust and distance.
Raja Nasir Abbas alleged that false cases had been registered against the PTI founder and maintained that the matter was not about politics but about health. He demanded that the PTI founder be treated at Shifa International Hospital, adding that an injection was required within the next two days.
He further said that the issues surrounding the PTI founder should be resolved and assured the government that he would not allow it to fall over the matter.
Responding to the opposition’s criticism, Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said democracy progresses through dialogue rather than deadlock. He questioned what could be done if an individual remained unwilling to accept any proposal.
Referring to past political developments, Rana Sanaullah asked what became of the Charter of Democracy and how power was attained in 2018. He said the administration had taken security measures after efforts were made to move towards Parliament House and added that some roads were blocked, affecting public transport.
He maintained that the matter of the PTI founder is sub judice, noting that PTI itself had approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He said the apex court had taken notice of the issue, appointed a friend of the court, and sought reports from jail authorities regarding residential conditions.
Rana Sanaullah said there was no contradiction between the jail report and the commission’s findings. He added that medical examinations were conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court on the 16th, 19th and 24th, and that a team of doctors had completed examination and treatment during those dates.
He said the PTI founder was being provided facilities in accordance with court orders and that appeals in the matter were currently under hearing as the legal process continues.
The adviser also stated that the government had offered talks on multiple occasions but claimed PTI had avoided dialogue. He emphasised that political leaders should sit together to resolve issues through discussion.