ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday strongly criticized the opposition benches in Senate, particularly Opposition Leader Yousuf Raza Gilani, calling him a “compromised leader” and a “sell-out”.
Addressing the Senate floor a day earlier, Senator Gilani said that he was being accused by “some turncoats” in what was an apparent reference to Qureshi and Chaudhry’s past as both are former leaders of the PPP.
PPP’s Gilani was among at least eight opposition senators who had skipped last Friday’s Senate session, which allowed the PTI government to narrowly manage to get the crucial State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill passed from the opposition-controlled house.
Speaking on the floor of the Senate today, Qureshi responded to Gilani’s jibe, saying: “I am warning you, honourable members of the Senate, that the opposition leader is a compromised leader. Don’t rely on a leader of the opposition who is a sell-out.”
“The opposition leader explained the reason for his absence; however, many factions do not appear satisfied with this claim that he was informed about the bill too late,” Qureshi said.
He questioned if the opposition leader was unaware that the SBP bill had been passed in the National Assembly and would now come to Senate. “How is opposition leader so unaware and innocent?” the foreign minister retorted.
He further alleged that Gilani had ensured Senator Dilawar Khan of his presence at the Senate session, but ended up not showing up. “Dilawar Khan said that when he went to Gillani’s office it was empty and dark,” the foreign minister added.
He asked the opposition leader to look him in the eye and talk to him, questioning if he were ignoring his gaze intentionally. “If he is ashamed of my gaze, I can cover my eyes,” Qureshi derided.
He accused Gilani of being elected a senator through “buying votes”, saying there were videos of Gilani’s son’s tampering votes in last year’s Senate elections.
‘Contempt of Senate’
Responding to Qureshi’s rebuke, Gilani termed the foreign minister’s tirade against him “contempt of the Senate”. “It is just a contempt of the Senate,” he repeated while speaking to media persons after the Senate session.
Gilani said the foreign minister of Pakistan “stooped so low, with no rhyme or reason”, during his speech, which had tarnished the country’s image.
“Has my election as a senator angered him today?” Gilani, who was elected on a seat from Islamabad in last year’s Senate poll in March, posed a rhetoric question.
