Opposition raises rights and governance concerns as government defends its security record
ISLAMABAD:
A heated exchange between the government and opposition marked proceedings in the National Assembly on Monday during debate on the Home Office budget and cut motions, as lawmakers argued over human rights, security operations and political accountability in a charged session in Islamabad.
The session, chaired by President Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, suffered repeated disruptions as opposition members questioned the government’s record on governance and civil liberties, while Treasury benches defended security progress and institutional performance across multiple sectors.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Talal Chaudhry led the government’s defense of the ministry, saying it had responsibility for 501 martyrs and several ghazis. He said 1,020 personnel had been martyred in counter-terrorism operations.
He said 3,355 terrorist incidents were reported during the period, of which around 95% occurred in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Opposition leader Barrister Gohar Khan spoke during the debate and expressed concern over political victimization and alleged human rights violations over the past four years. He said such practices undermined democratic norms and institutional trust.
Criticizing the government, he warned against using the events of May 9 as political victimization, arguing that judicial proceedings should not be influenced by political considerations.
Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar responded by stating that two members of the opposition had received representation in the PCJ. He also criticized the opposition for boycotting key meetings and said important criminal law reforms remained pending at the committee stage.
On the other hand, JUI-F MNA Noor Alam Khan highlighted the worsening security situation, saying terrorism had badly affected KP and Balochistan and urged that no distinction be made between different categories of terrorists.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly approved grant requests worth more than Rp10.414 trillion covering 32 ministries and divisions. A total of 135 demands were approved, while 587 opposition court motions were rejected by a majority vote.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb presented the budget demands for approval, and opposition members filed multiple cut motions in key ministries, including 90 against the Cabinet Division, 116 against the Energy Division and 100 against the Finance Division.
