[DAWN] Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani on Monday admonished Minister of State for Interior Affairs Talal Chaudhry and asked that "the house wants to know what forced the government to sign an agreement with the protesters" who had staged a sit-in at Faizabad.After the weeks-long protest that virtually paralysed the capital, the government and protesters reached an agreement late Sunday night, in which the former conceded to the latter's demands.
Rabbani asked why Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was not present in the Senate to explain the government's position on the agreement with the Faizabad sit-in protesters.
To this Chaudhry replied that Ahsan Iqbal was travelling and, therefore, could not be contacted.
Rabbani also expressed disappointment on Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's visit to Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
. "The prime minister leaves for abroad on the very same day [the agreement is finalised]. Is the Riyadh summit more important than what has happened in the country?"
"The [real] issue is that your law minister was forced to resign," Rabbani maintained.
The Senate chairman said the parliament was not taken into confidence [before the agreement] because "it appears that the government did not find it important enough" to consult the parliament.
"You are taking the parliament, which can become your strength, for granted," Rabbani said, adding that "this House wants to know why there was a need to call the army?"