ISLAMABAD (Republic policy) – Former prime minister and a senior leader of the ruling PML-N Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was on Wednesday candid when he termed the outgoing National Assembly as the “worst in the history of the country”, which did not do legislation for providing relief to masses.
In his farewell remarks on the floor of the lower house of parliament, Abbasi, the son of a decorated Air Force veteran Air Commodore Khaqan, apologised to his fellow citizens for being part of it.
He said that not even a single piece of legislation in the last five years was done to ease the masses’ woes.
He did not hesitate to say that the record of the past five years’ legislation was proof of his assertion. “If one sift the record, he will see all the government bills were not meant to provide relief to the people.”
Abbasi felt ashamed as “today people have lost confidence in the system, which could not be restored through meaningless legislation but with deeds.”
He says it might take a decade to turn around the country’s economy and hold “every one of us” responsible. He suggested forming a “truth commission” to determine “who did what with the country.”
The ex-premier pointed out that several parliamentarians were surrounding the interior minister today for his signatures for getting licenses. “Why this process cannot be streamlined,” he added.
“People say that all members of the assembly are corrupt, and we show that they are correct,” he said, pointing out that 40 to 53 bills of private members were passed in the National Assembly in a matter of days.