ISLAMABAD: Fierce clashes erupted between law-enforcers and protesters in Islamabad late Saturday night as protesters attempted to march towards the Prime Minister House.
Tear-gas and rubber bullets have been used by police, while protesters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) have responded with pelting stones.
The clashes come on the 14th day of sit-ins in the capital, which had thus far remained without incident, are continuing on for a third day.
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
- Altaf Hussain directs MQM MNAs and Senators to submit resignations to the party’s deputy convener
- At 10pm, PAT in the presence of political jirga will meet government’s negotiating team
- Joint session of Parliament continues
- Shah Mehmood Qureshi says PTI not part of any plan to undermine democracy. PTI walks out of Parliament
- PM Nawaz leaves house during Qureshi’s speech, returns after it ends
- MNA Achakzai says there should be no talks with Imran Khan until PTI signs a resolution to vacate Red Zone
- Khurhsheed Shah says Parliament has won today
- PTI MNAs attend session, Aftab Sherpao criticises them for coming to a house they have been protesting against
- ANP leader Zahid Khan expresses fears that there is a conspiracy against the 18th Amendment
- Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo censures PTI, PAT for abusing other political parties
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September 3, 5:15pm
PTI’s meeting with the political jirga is underway, Express News reports.
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September 3, 4:45pm
Addressing the media after a meeting with the political jirga, PAT leader Raheeq Abbasi says they have presented their demands to the jirga.
“Our demand for the resignation of the prime minister and Punjab chief minister still stands,” he says, adding, “We have also asked for the formation of a new judicial commission to probe into the Model Town incident.”
“Rigging in elections and the formation of a new election commission were also discussed,” he says.
Abbasi adds that tonight at 10pm, in the presence of the political jirga, PAT will meet with the government’s negotiating team.
JI chief Sirajul Haq says the jirga has successfully ended the deadlock in talks between the government and PAT.
Further, PPP leader Rehman Malik thanks Imran and Qadri for agreeing to meet with them.
“We have requested PAT to vacate Parliament grounds,” says Rehman.
Express News screengrab of PAT leader Raheeq Abbasi with the politcal jirga.
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September 3, 4:38pm
The joint session of Parliament is adjourned till tomorrow.
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September 3, 4:26pm
Addressing the joint session, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah says, “Parliament has won today.”
“We had earlier asked the government to allow PTI to protest as it is a political party but PAT has a different agenda,” he adds.
“Those with patience in politics always win; Parliament passed resolution for PM to remain steadfast and see they [PTI] came back.”
“I am thankful to the PM and government for calling joint session of Parliament, and we can see the results today, on the second day.”
“Speaker’s decision to allow Shah Mehmood Qureshi to speak was in accordance with the Constitution,” he adds.
“Conspiracies are being hatched even today,” Shah says, adding, “I heard a party leader asked for resignations as Parliament is of ‘no use’.”
“Politics is the name of patience and moving forward, PM Nawaz Sharif has come out as a better prime minister.”
Express News screengrab of Leader of the Opposition in the National assembly Khursheed Shah addressing the joint session.
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September 3, 4:20pm
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, addressing the joint session, says it is yet to be confirmed if all PTI lawmakers have tendered their resignations or not.
“Unity of Parliament will not be affected come what may,” he adds.
Addressing Fazl’s question whether PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi should be allowed to address Parliament, NA speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq says till resignations are processed, PTI members are allowed to enter the house.
Express News screengrab of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
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September 3, 3:45pm
MQM chief Altaf Hussain has directed MQM parliamentarians to submit their resignations to Deputy Convener Nadeem Nusrat, Express News reports.
There are 24 MQM MNAs and 7 Senators in Parliament.
“I give all assemblies one week to improve their functioning, says MQM chief.
“Joint session of Parliament is only a drama,” he adds.
At 6pm today, there will be a general workers meeting of MQM and all party leaders are expected to attend, our correspondent Rabia Ali reports.
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September 3, 3:45pm
Addressing the joint session, Awami National Party Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash says PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi made “baseless allegations” on the floor of the House.
“Nawaz Sharif is the elected prime minister,” he says.
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September 3, 3:40pm
Moments after PTI lawmakers left, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has returned to Parliament, having left after PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi started his address.
Express News screengrab of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif entering Parliament again.
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September 3, 3:35pm
Addressing the joint session, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai says there should not be any talks with PTI chairman Imran Khan until the PTI signs a resolution to vacate the Red Zone
“The FIR registered in the Model Town incident should be conditional,” he adds.
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September 3, 2:18pm
Following up on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s announcement yesterday, PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi defends his party’s actions during the protests, saying, “We are protesting to save Parliament, not to destroy it.”
“The PTI never was and never will be part of a grand plan that will undermine democracy,” Qureshi clarifies, evidently in response to Hashmi’s claim that the protests were ‘scripted’.
It must be noted, Qureshi was conspicuously silent over the status of his and other PTI lawmakers’ resignations in his speech.
Read here for the full story.
Express News screengrab of PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi addressing the joint session.
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September 3, 2:07pm
“If I have to sit around and wait for a year for their resignations, I will wait,” says PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri while addressing his supporters, referring to his demand for the prime minister and the Punjab chief minister’s resignations.
“They can try to negotiate all they want, but I won’t change my stance,” says Qadri
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September 3, 2:00pm
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Rehman Malik, speaks outside the Parliament today.
Following his last meeting at 5pm yesterday with PTI chief Imran Khan, he confirms that the deadlock is now over.
He went on to announce that “very soon the nation will receive some very good news”.
Through his address he made an appeal to Altaf Hussain – who earlier today announced that he wanted to be relieved of his responsibilities in MQM- to withdraw this decision immediately.
He pleaded to Hussain directly, “for the sake of our friendship you must withdraw your decision to leave your party.”
Malik made a further appeal to the government, requesting that all those who are arrested and are innocent should be released. “All those who have been hurt and injured should be given compensation” he adds.
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September 3, 12:55pm
Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) chief Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, while addressing his fellow parliamentarians, says the protesters are only complaining about election rigging and not other problems faced by the country.
He alleged that Qadri and Imran had been working together all along and have only revealed their partnership recently.
Hitting out at PTI lawmakers attending today’s session, the QWP leader asked the speaker of the house if their entry into the parliament should be considered an assault since they were protesting against it for the last few weeks.
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September 3, 12:20pm
During the second day of the joint session of Parliament, Acting President of Nationalist Party Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo criticises the long marches held by PTI and PAT and claims that “this was not how politics is done”.
He went on to condemn the two groups and says that both have abused political parties.
Read here for the full story.
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September 3, 11:55am
Today’s joint session was opened by Information Secretary of the Awami National Party Zahid Khan, in which he states that there is a conspiracy against the 18th amendment.
He argues that bureaucracy has destroyed this nation and without democracy a nation cannot be governed.
“We have made a joke out of this country” he said.
Further, he says “how do we have the audacity to point our finger onto others, when we ourselves cannot handle our own nation?”
Khan went on to commend PTI leader Javed Hashmi in his statements made yesterday.
“In order for Pakistan to remain strong, the constitution must be saved,” he adds.
He referred to the Model Town tragedy and questioned why nobody is fighting for those who died in the May 12 incident in Karachi.
“There are those who are shedding crocodile tears for the 14 deaths in the Model Town tragedy, what about the ones who died on May 12 in Karachi? Were they not human? Were they not Muslims and Pakistanis? Why is nobody doing anything for them?”
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September 3, 11:45am
Joint session of Parliament has started.
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September 3, 11:07am
Protesters have set up their own checkpoints in front of the Pak Secretariat, Express News reports.
They are reportedly also checking policemen.
Express News screengrab of protesters checking policemen
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September 3, 8:20am
PAT workers stop government employees from reaching Pak Secretariat, Express News reports.
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September 3, 2:20am
“For the continuation of democracy we agreed that talks should continue and tomorrow (Wednesday) at 4pm, the negotiation committees will meet at Rehman Malik’s place,” says PTI’s negotiation team leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Express News reports.
The PTI team consists of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Arif Alvi, Jahangir Tareen, Pervaiz Khattak, Shafqat Mahmood and Asad Umar.
We presented our point of view, and they patiently listened to it, says Qureshi.
Talking to media after the meeting between the opposition’s political jirga and PTI’s negotiation team, JI chief Sirajul Haq says that the ‘Jirga’, composed of opposition parties, met PTI chairman Imran Khan and PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, and the stalled negotiations have now resumed.
“We will continue talks till we reach a consensus,” says Haq.
“I do not want to comment on the violence that broke out during last few days but I appeal to both government and protesting parties to give negotiations and talks a chance,” the JI chief says.
“If the PTI and PAT have decided to resume talks today, it does not mean they are weak or have backed off,” cautioned PPP Senator Rehman Malik.
“We appeal, that as a matter of courtesy and to improve the environment, all the PAT and PTI workers detained across the country and the 150 missing protesters who have been arrested, should be released. Further, the cases against the workers and the negotiation committee should be withdrawn.”
“The way PTI and PAT have cooperated, we see room for good results from talks”, says Malik.
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September 3, 1:55am
PTI chairman Imran Khan asks all his elected party officials and office bearers to gather at their protest in Islamabad, Express News reports.
All those who want to take part in local body elections from PTI’s platform should also ensure their presence here, says Imran Khan.