Uproar in Senate over PTI's Gandapur calling Bhutto 'traitor', Nawaz 'thief'

• Uproar in Senate over Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur's remarks about PPP, PML-N leaderships
• Gandapur had termed former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto a "traitor" and Nawaz Sharif a "robber".
• PPP Senator Sherry Rehman asks how Gandapur could dare to call Bhutto a traitor.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur's remarks a day earlier about PPP and PML-N leaderships caused a stir in the Senate Wednesday morning.

Senator Raza Rabbani chanted slogans like "this government of bad language, government of hooliganism will not work" in the House, but later apologised after the Senate chairman asked him to stop.

Rabbani said that the politics of calling each other bad would lead to disaster.

During an election campaign rally on Tuesday, Gandapur had lashed out at the PPP and PML-N leaderships.

In his speech in Azad Kashmir, the minister had declared former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto a traitor and Nawaz Sharif a dacoit. He alleged that Bhutto divided the country just for the sake of prime ministership.

He then turned his guns towards PML-N's Maryam Nawaz and said she claimed to be a Kashmiri, but in fact she is the daughter of Jatts. He alleged that the PPP and PML-N broke all records of corruption.

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PPP leader and Senator Moula Bux Chandio said that yesterday an "abusive minister of this abusive government" called Bhutto a traitor. "They are paving the way for a new confrontation," Senator Chandio said.

PPP Senator Sherry Rehman, too, was furious over Gandapur's remarks.

"How did he [Ali Gandapur] dare to say that Bhutto is a traitor," Rehman asked, saying that there is a limit to the use of abusive language.

"Who are these people who give certificates of treason," Rehman questioned and asked if Bhutto was a traitor because he brought in the nuclear programme into the country.

"Is Bhutto a traitor because he brought your troops back?" she asked.

Read more: Maryam Nawaz criticises Amin Ali Gandapur for donating cash during election campaign

PML-N Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar thought Gandapur, being a government minister, should be ashamed at the language used by him for Bhutto, Nawaz and Maryam.

During the speech of the Leader of the House for the Senate Dr Shahzad Waseem, the opposition continued to protest. 

If the opposition continues like this, it will be difficult for me to control my members, Dr Waseem remarked.

He said the top leadership of opposition parties used inappropriate language in the election rallies in Kashmir. If the opposition members did not change their ways, it would be difficult to stop the government senators, he said.

Dr Waseem asked the opposition leadership, too, to apologise for their inappropriate statements.

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"Today, Pakistan is saying it has a nuclear bomb because of Bhutto," Rabbani said, adding that there are some leaders who sacrifice their lives and do not compromise on principle.

"Bhutto could have compromised with American imperialism but he did not," he continued.

He [Bhutto] gathered all Islamic countries in Lahore and said that our army belongs to all Islamic countries and gave the air force to Palestine, Rabbani said

"You want to call him a traitor. If such a political dialogue is to take place, no one will be safe here," the PPP senator said.