Fact-check: No, Asad Qaiser did not refuse to support NA resolution condemning Israel

Social networks are awash with claims that politician Asad Qaiser delivered a speech in the National Assembly on March 15 where he said that he will not support a resolution condemning the Israeli war on Palestine, until a resolution was passed in favour of former prime minister Imran Khan.

The claim is false. Qaiser did not make any such statement in the lower house of the parliament.

Claim

“In a parliament, where a resolution cannot be passed to support Imran Khan, we will also not let a resolution be passed that supports Palestine, said Asad Qaiser,” wrote an X (Twitter) user on March 15.

The post further claimed that Qaiser said that passing a resolution in favour of Palestine would create problems for Pakistan, as it would upset the European Union. 

“Pakistan has nothing to do with the Israel and Palestine conflict — said Asad Qaiser,” added the user.

The post has been viewed over 150,000 times and shared and liked over 1,000 times, to date.

Identical claims also took off on TikTok and Facebook here, here and here.

Fact

There is no evidence that Asad Qaiser, a senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), made the above remarks on March 15.

Footage of Qaiser’s entire speech on the day is available on the YouTube channel of the state-run Pakistan Television Corporation.

The National Assembly’s proceedings were broadcasted for 70 minutes on the day, during which Qaiser stood up twice to speak.

First, when the resolution against Israel was being tabled by the Pakistan Peoples Party, Qaiser suggested that both houses of the parliament should pass a joint resolution condemning Israel’s aggression.

The second time he spoke was when the law minister tabled seven ordinances in the National Assembly, responding to which Qaiser criticised the government for allegedly violating the rules of the lower house and not letting PTI’s senior leader Omar Ayub speak regarding the hasty law making.

With additional reporting by Saman Amjad.

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