Misbehavior Toward Parliamentary Guests: The Dark Era of Fascism in the Name of Democracy in Punjab
By Ghulam Hussain Ghazi
On the previous Friday, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sohail Afridi arrived in Lahore for a three-day visit, marking his first official trip to the city. Although this journey was undertaken at the directive of his imprisoned party leader and was primarily political in nature, such inter-provincial visits serve as important milestones in promoting democratic values, fostering affection among the populace, strengthening inter-provincial relations and advancing national unity. The people of Punjab extended a warm and enthusiastic welcome to the visit. However, the negative and hostile attitude displayed by the Punjab government constituted a clear affront to national dignity. This conduct was not only agonized by the people of Punjab, particularly by the intellectuals and the media, who demanded an apology for such uncivil behavior, but it also provoked widespread condemnation at both national and international levels.
In democratic societies, political rivalry and differences of opinion are not considered crimes but rather hallmarks of healthy politics. Yet when such opposition degenerates into outright discourtesy and elected representatives from another province are subjected to humiliation at the very gates of a sacred institution like the provincial assembly, the matter ceases to concern a single individual alone; the credibility of the entire system is placed at stake. The incident that occurred at the Punjab Assembly during Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s visit to Lahore starkly illustrates this bitter reality.
A legislative assembly is not the exclusive preserve of any one political party; it is the collective embodiment of the people’s wisdom and a symbol of national honor. Parliamentary rules and conventions demand mutual respect among elected representatives, freedom of expression and courteous treatment of visiting dignitaries. The mistreatment of any province’s elected chief executive and the delegation accompanying him not only violates parliamentary etiquette but also delivers a resounding slap to the face of democratic values.
It is indeed true that Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s party is presently perceived as being under scrutiny by the establishment. History, however, bears witness that various parties and their leaders have faced similar pressures in different periods in the past. Nevertheless, civilized nations do not transform political differences into fascism, particularly not within the precincts of an assembly, where tolerance and decorum are held in the highest regard.
KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s three-day visit to Lahore had been planned in advance and widely circulated including a formal appearance at the Punjab Assembly as well as meetings with PTI MPs there. Yet the discourteous treatment meted out to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa delegation upon arrival at the Punjab Assembly tore parliamentary norms to shreds. Ironically, the Punjab Information Department published posters on its official platforms containing derogatory language directed against the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and his delegates; the provincial Information Minister held a press conference in which she labeled them as “wild” and accused them of drug smuggling, thereby reaching the extreme of indecorous speech.
From the outset, the Punjab government’s attitude appeared antagonistic. As soon as the convoy entered Punjab’s jurisdiction on the motorway, a heavy police presence was deployed from Chakri Interchange to Lahore. On the night preceding the visit, Punjab Police raided the homes of PTI leaders across Lahore, violating the sanctity of private residences and conducting detentions throughout the night, thereby creating a false and intimidating impression. Meanwhile, party workers intending to welcome the Chief Minister were dispersed, roads were obstructed and even arrangements for the delegation’s food and sustenance were deliberately blocked.
In Bhera, the situation reached an extreme: all hotels were forcibly closed. Even at the hotel where breakfast and accommodation had been pre-paid, police pressure led to the cancellation of the booking and the management was prohibited from hosting the convoy. Similarly, after a full day of engagements, when the Chief Minister and his guests proceeded to Lahore Food Street for a meal, the police sealed the entire market. At Noulakha Bazaar, Shahi Mohalla, Gawalmandi and every other location the delegation approached for food, shops had already been forcibly shuttered, leaving the guests hungry courtesy of the Punjab government. In various markets where crowds gathered, not only were local citizens detained but several members of the convoy itself were arrested. Such actions are utterly unbecoming of any civilized unit in a federal structure.
It is particularly noteworthy that the situation at the Punjab Assembly was deliberately rendered grave. Extreme discourtesy was shown to Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and the accompanying Khyber Pakhtunkhwa delegation. KP Senior Minister for Local Government Meena Khan Afridi, Adviser on Information Shafiullah Jan, PTI’s Parliamentary Leader in the National Assembly Shahid Khattak, and even the respected female Deputy Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Suraiya Bibi, were pushed and shoved. Provocative and insulting questions were hurled at them by individuals posing as journalists. Although PTI’s Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly, Moin Qureshi, tendered an apology for this humiliating conduct, the reality remains that these acts constituted a flagrant violation of democratic and parliamentary norms, one that merits the strongest possible condemnation. I fully concur with Shafiullah Jan’s statement that PTI has emerged as a popular national party representing the federation, while other parties have become mired in dynastic and parochial tendencies. In such a context, discriminatory treatment toward PTI could well be a calculated conspiracy to provoke public outrage.
In stark contrast to the state-imposed obstacles and official coldness, the people of Punjab welcomed Chief Minister Sohail Afridi with open hearts. Wherever he went in Lahore, citizens garlanded him with flowers, raised sky-shaking slogans of welcome and presented him with valuable gifts. This warm popular response provided clear evidence that while political differences exist, the people harbor no hatred in their hearts.
During the first two days of the visit, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi held meetings with party leaders, the legal community at the Lahore High Court, political workers and the families of imprisoned leaders. He emphasized the supremacy of the Constitution, democratic rights and political tolerance. Local party office-bearers and elected representatives who stood with him expressed solidarity at every stage. The consistent message across all gatherings was unequivocal: differences may exist, but they must remain within the bounds of democracy.
Despite all the obstacles, mistreatment and administrative pressure exerted by the Punjab government, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s visit proved successful in every respect. Public acceptance, strengthened political linkages, the promotion of a democratic narrative and the morale-boosting of party workers, all predefined objectives, were fully achieved. The discourtesy at the Punjab Assembly unmasked not merely an individual but an entire mindset, while the people’s response demonstrated that Pakistan’s future lies not in hatred but in tolerance. In his address to the legal community at the Lahore High Court, Chief Minister Sohail Afridi aptly held a mirror to the Punjab government, stating that this mistreatment has left an indelible mark on their hearts; nevertheless, despite its allegedly fraudulent mandate, he extends an invitation to the Chief Minister of Punjab to visit Peshawar, where he will demonstrate what true parliamentary etiquette and hospitality truly mean.
Sohail Afridi arrived in Lahore as the elected and beloved representative of 45 million people. The treatment he and his delegation received from Punjab government is condemnable and will not be remembered kindly by history. Yet what has also been firmly recorded is that popular strength, democratic principles and political civility remain alive in Pakistan. This constitutes the true success of the visit and the enduring hope of the Pakistani nation.
Leave a Reply