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In his maiden speech during a session of the newly elected National Assembly, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Monday endorsed the PTI\u2019s call for a judicial inquiry into the May 9 riots.<\/p>\n
He passed these remarks in reference to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur\u2019s recent call<\/a> for the formation of a judicial commission to probe the violent protests<\/a> that erupted across the country following PTI founder Imran Khan\u2019s arrest<\/a> on May 9 last year.<\/p>\n \u201cI call upon the chief justice Supreme Court of Pakistan (Justice Qaez Faiz Isa) to form [a judicial commission] and see who are the beneficiaries [of May 9],\u201d Gandapur had said in a fiery speech after being elected the chief executive of KP.<\/p>\n Speaking on the floor of the lower house of the Parliament today, Bilawal said he endorsed Gandapur\u2019s demand. But at the same time, he stated that the result should be accepted by everyone, including the Imran-led party.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is not possible that someone attacks our institution and the memorial of our martyrs and we forget it,\u201d the ex-foreign minister said. \u201cWe cannot take our politics forward unless we address this issue and this is why the PPP appeals to the prime minister to form a judicial commission [\u2026] Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa should form the commission,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Bilawal went on to say that an extensive investigation into the May 9 events would bring clarity. \u201cI will call for the punishment [of those proven guilty] and I will call for the release [of those who are innocent],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The PPP leader also extended support to the PTI regarding the latter\u2019s demand for a probe into election irregularities.<\/p>\n In his hour-long speech \u2014 which was disrupted by noisy protests from the opposition benches \u2014 the PPP leader backed PM Shehbaz Sharif\u2019s call for a charter of national reconciliation.<\/p>\n \u201cNot only do we endorse it but also appeal to our friends from the opposition that they take part in this process,\u201d said Bilawal. He also congratulated the newly elected chief ministers of all four provinces and highlighted the need for them to play their role to save Pakistan\u2019s \u201cdemocracy and economy\u201d.<\/p>\n Pointing toward the opposition, he said: \u201cThe people of Pakistan are tired of poverty, unemployment and inflation [\u2026] they did not give you their vote for you to come here and abuse each other and create a ruckus.\u201d<\/p>\n Bilawal further stated that Pakistan was in dire need of judicial and electoral reforms, expressing his party\u2019s willingness to partake in conversations regarding the same.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, PTI-backed lawmaker Asad Qaiser asserted that neither his leader Imran Khan nor the party would \u201cbow down\u201d.<\/p>\n In an impassioned speech on the floor of the house, he said: \u201cI want to make this clear; that time of fear has passed. We have come out of all situations headstrong.\u201d<\/p>\n Qaiser also demanded that the Supreme Court constitute a judicial commission on the cipher controversy<\/a>, which is at the heart of the PTI\u2019s allegation of foreign involvement in the party\u2019s ouster.<\/p>\n \u201cOur party\u2019s stance on it is clear; that the Supreme Court constitutes a judicial commission,\u201d he said, lamenting that cipher was used as the basis of Imran\u2019s conviction and subsequent punishment.<\/p>\n Qaiser further stated that a judicial commission should be formed to probe allegations of rigging in the Feb 8 polls. \u201cWe want to invite all those parties that have concerns about these elections, whether they are Balochistan\u2019s political parties or Sindh\u2019s or Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa\u2019s.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will bring everyone together for the Constitution\u2019s supremacy, for an independent judiciary, for civilian supremacy,\u201d the PTI leader added.<\/p>\n On the other hand, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan termed the PM\u2019s election \u2014 which saw Shehbaz emerging victorious<\/a> \u2014 a \u201csad day for democracy\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cNone of us imagined that such a person would be elected, that the switch of Pakistan\u2019s atomic power would be handed over to someone who does not have a public mandate and has been in power for four decades,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Gohar further alleged that Bilawal had \u201cburied\u201d his grandfather\u2019s politics and assailed the PPP and the PML-N for \u201cdynasty politics\u201d. He claimed that Imran \u201cbrought an end to dynasty politics\u201d and was the reason why a worker like himself was appointed as the PTI chairman.<\/p>\n Bilawal\u2019s speech was marred by intense sloganeering from PTI-backed lawmakers who chanted \u2018go Nawaz go<\/em>\u2019, prompting several warnings from NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.<\/p>\n Similarly, Sadiq also expunged Bilawal for using the word \u201ccartoons\u201d while referring to the opposition members. The PPP leader also acknowledged that he shouldn\u2019t have said those words and allowed them to be expunged.<\/p>\n Earlier, members of the treasury benches greeted newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as PTI-backed lawmakers chanted slogans of \u2018shame shame\u2019.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, interruptions were also witnessed in the YouTube livestream of the session. During his speech, Bilawal condemned the raid on Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Achakzai\u2019s residence<\/a> last night. The nationalist leader is also the PTI\u2019s nominee for the presidential elections.<\/p>\n The PPP leader urged Balochistan Chief Minister Safaraz Bugti and PM Shehbaz to take notice of the raid and then gave the floor to Achakzai. However, as soon as the PkMAP leader began speaking, the Parliament\u2019s YouTube livestream inexplicably ended.<\/p>\n\u2018Will not bow down\u2019<\/h2>\n
Ruckus and interruptions<\/h2>\n