Hashmi was backed by govt: Khursheed Shah

“Hashmi could not have taken such a major step without the backing of the government,” said Opposition Leader in the Lower House Syed Khursheed Shah during a sitting of the assembly.

“They are trying to make the joint investigation team (JIT) and judiciary controversial so that they could claim being victimised,” he added.
The JIT was formed in line with the Supreme Court’s April 20 order to probe the offshore properties of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family.

Even while addressing a presser outside parliament, Shah took Hashmi to task.

Replying to Hashmi’s accusation that ‘where was the judiciary’ when the PAT and the PTI hanged their shalwars on a Supreme Court’s banner during a protest in 2014, Shah said, “Whatever they did … they did not threaten the judiciary.”

Citing the example of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, he said, “There are photos of 1997 of Benazir and her children standing outside a court in the scorching heat of the sun waiting for proceedings against her, but she did not utter a single word against the judiciary.”

The Pakistan Peoples Party also accepted wholeheartedly the apex court’s decision of dismissing former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for not writing a letter to the Swiss authorities.

Read more: Nehal Hashmi withdraws resignation from Senate

Earlier during the sitting, opposition parties continued to boycott proceedings of the budget session for a fifth consecutive sitting on Monday because their budget speeches were not telecast on the state-run PTV.

Taking the floor, Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain said, “If opposition members are sincere in resolving the problems facing the country, they should participate in the parliamentary proceedings to chalk out a proper strategy to address these challenges.” However, he added the government was making all-out efforts to address the challenges the masses were faced with.

After Shah had delivered his speech on a point of order, the entire opposition had staged a walkout from the House to record their protest.

Article source: http://www.suchtv.pk/pakistan/general/item/55020-hashmi-was-backed-by-govt-khursheed-shah.html