Khursheed Shah mocks information minister's 'send miscreants to space' remarks

A day after the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and the PPP members exchanged barbs and nearly got into a physical altercation in the National Assembly, the session resumed on Tuesday morning with opposition members tearing into recent comments by the government.

Chaired by NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, the sitting began with a speech by senior PPP leader Khursheed Shah.

Shah took a jibe at Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry's remarks from yesterday, in which the minister had suggested that the people protesting on roads and certain politicians should be sent to the space for causing unrest in the country.

Replying in the same mocking tone, Shah said he had heard that the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) had been "asked to transport miscreants to space".

"[I] have heard that Suparco has asked for the data of last five years. The House will be empty, if the plan goes on," he said, suggesting that the majority of those who have been creating unrest during the last five years are sitting in the National Assembly.

"We demand the commission to seek data of only last three months," he added.

The PPP stalwart maintained that what ever happened yesterday was unpleasant. "We don't want to create unrest in the assembly. The speaker had called us in his chamber and the opposition was there but the treasury member did not turn up," the said.

Khursheed Shah warned against continuing with the politics of calling names.