During a tumultuous session of Pakistan’s National Assembly focused on the federal budget for 2024-25, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar advised Defence Minister Khawaja Asif to wear headphones to shield himself from the disruptive sloganeering by members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
The session, intended to discuss a new military operation to combat militancy, was frequently interrupted by opposition members. They loudly voiced their opposition to the ‘Azm-e-Istehkam’ operation, which aims to eradicate terrorism in the country, with chants like “End the operation” and “We want peace.”
Amid the uproar, Asif criticized the PTI, accusing it of siding with terrorists rather than the nation. He lamented that its sole purpose seemed to be protesting rather than engaging constructively about national security issues. “They are neither with the country nor the Constitution,” he stated.
In an attempt to mitigate the disturbances and allow Asif to continue his speech, Tarar suggested the use of headphones. This moment was televised nationally, capturing Tarar urging Asif in Punjabi, “Headphone lao bhaijaan.. Allah di kasmay.. mic na kadeya… (Put on the headphones brother.. I swear to God… don’t take off the mic).”
The opposition, led by PTI, staged a temporary walkout from the session but returned after an hour. They expressed dissatisfaction for not being consulted about the operation, though the government reassured them that their concerns would be addressed.
The government, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had announced this new counter-terrorism initiative the day before, committing to using the country’s full arsenal of military, diplomatic, and legislative resources to combat the rising tide of militancy. The operation was approved by the Central Apex Committee on National Action Plan (NAP), with top officials from all provinces present, including PTI-backed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
This initiative comes in response to a significant increase in terrorist activities in recent months, which have resulted in numerous casualties among civilians and security forces alike.
