Ruckus in NA after Fawad says ‘hang the national wealth looters upside down’

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry launched a strong outburst against former opposition leader Khusheed Shah in the National Assembly, saying the former ruler(s) bankrupted the country and ‘they must be hanged upside down’ for this crime.

Fawad rose to speak in the House in response to a speech earlier made by Pakistan People’s Party senior parliamentarian Khursheed Shah.

‘I suggest the Prime Minister to order hanging of these culprits upside down, because of what they did to the country,” he told the House.

Speaker Asad Qaisar intervened as the minister lost his cool, and asked the lawmaker to control his emotions and refrain from remarks that are against the assembly conduct. He also ordered expunging a few remarks of the information minister.

‘It’s strange that looting the country’s wealth is parliamentary, but declaring dacoit a dacoit is un-parliamentary,” he said in his outburst of anger.

The minister said former governments destroyed Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan International Airlines and other key institutions and they feel no remorse over it. He alleged Khursheed Shah recruited his friends in the PIA, as well as 500 employees in the PTV in three days during his party’s tenure.

He further said there was not a single person in the family of Mushahid Hussain who is not a government employee. Chaudhry stated that no compromise would be made on corruption. “Thieves take it on face value if we call them thieves,” said the legislator.

He went on to say that a taxi driver in New York was called for his political contacts in Pakistan and was subsequently made director general of Radio Pakistan.

In his response, Shah said Fawad Chaudhry should not have spoken that harshly. “Until he apologizes, we will not sit in the House,” he said.

The opposition parties staged a walkout after the information minister’s remarks.

Later after the assembly session, Fawad Chaudhry tendered apology for his statement in which he referred some lawmakers as ‘dacoits’. Ruckus erupted after my remarks for which I apologize, he added.