Though top PML-N leaders have been quick to dismiss National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq's apprehensions
— expressed Wednesday night — that the government may not be able to
complete its term, opposition leaders have smelled blood and are
advising caution "in these dangerous times."
Sadiq, while
speaking to a TV channel on Wednesday, had said that though the
continuity of the democratic system was critical in ensuring the
strengthening of institutions in the country, he "does not see the
[incumbent] assembly completing its tenure".
"What's
happening now has never been witnessed before," he said, adding that
everyone should prioritise national interests instead of focusing on
personal benefits.
The NA speaker, however, rejected any
possibility of a martial law being imposed on the country, saying the
current situation was "worse than the Musharraf regime, but there is no
chance of martial law".
Leader
of the Opposition Khursheed Shah, responding to Sadiq's statement, said
the speaker seemed to be telling the "inside story", and that the
situation "seemed suspicious" to him as well.
"The way
his party is under pressure to hold early elections — it can be seen how
the roads are being blocked and fights are being fought everywhere —
everyone understands the dangers which Pakistan is going through," Shah
said cryptically.
"We should move forward with our eyes open," he warned.
Later,
while speaking in the assembly, Shah added that attempts to reduce the
Parliament to a rubber stamp for one individual's decisions will be
defeated by the opposition.
PPP Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, while speaking to the media, said the NA speaker's statements were being twisted.
He also said that blaming a 'hidden hand' for its troubles is a regular practice of the PML-N.
"If the assemblies have to be broken, the decision has to be taken by the prime minister," he said.
Other
members of the Lower House also expressed grave concerns over the
dangers to Parliament coming directly from the custodian of the house.
They demanded he inform the assembly of the dangers it was facing.
"The speaker's statement paints a horrible picture," MQM MNA Kishwar Zehra said.
PML-N leaders: Everything is all right
Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, when asked to respond to
Sadiq's remarks, said: "I don't think he has said such a thing [...] He
has expressed his concern for the current situation but has also
expressed hope assemblies complete their tenure."
Speaking
to journalists in London, Asif said that the crisis was not severe
enough to bring the General Election forward to January 2018 or prevent
the assemblies from completing their tenures.
"From our
perspective, the situation is all right. As far as the opposition is
concerned, they do oppose [the government] and it is their right. Other
than that, there's no such thing and the assemblies will complete their
tenure," the foreign minister assured.
Prime Minister
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, also in London, told journalists that the
assemblies would be dissolved after completing their tenures in June,
and that the election would take place in August 2018 as scheduled.
PML-N's
captain Safdar also weighed in on the speaker's statement, saying: "If a
prime minister with two-thirds majority could not complete his tenure,
his team and the assemblies will obviously find themselves in trouble."
"The burden of any attack on the assemblies always falls on the state," he said. "We should learn from the fall of Dhaka."
Meanwhile, veteran politician Javed Hashmi ─ a former member of the PML-N and the PTI ─ urged Sadiq not to lose hope.
"It
is we who have to improve the situation. If we all stand up, the
destination is not too far away; it is in sight," he said, adding that
holding the General Election in August 2018 would be a huge victory for
Pakistan.
