An insignificant victory for Opposition.

Byline: NUSRAT JAVEED

For the past two weeks, almost each front-ranking PML-N leader has been preparing us for 'in-house change,' while drumming the Minus-One theme. I am not a great admirer of the Imran Government. Yet my nose failed to smell 'the change,' they had been expecting with utmost confidence.

As if to affirm my gut feeling, the PTI deliberately played a parliamentary trick Tuesday evening to show it to the world that its majority in the National Assembly remained intact.

The sitting was reserved for private initiatives in legislation. Maulana Akbar Chitrali of the Jamaat-e-Islami tried to take advantage of it by introducing a bill, seeking huge revamping of the NAB-connected laws. The government took the position that it already was actively reviewing those laws and 'soon' the proposed changes would be put before the house. Chitrali should thus wait for the government's bill.

He refused to budge. That forced the headcount and the government succeeded to scuttle his initiative with a huge margin. Only ten MNAs stood to support Chitrali, while the government showed 90 members standing for it.

The same government failed to sustain the winning streak, however. Alamgir Khan from its backbenches wanted to introduce another law that would ban the wearing of turbans by the staff, many pricey restaurants depute on their entrance to welcome customers.

Alamgir Khan had been an attention seeking 'social activist' from Karachi. He kept furnishing engaging stories for 24/7 networks by pointing out the lack of covers for the manholes in his town by staging scenes reminding you of agit-pop tricks. After elected to the National Assembly on the PTI ticket in July 2018, he aspired for a ministerial slot. Prime Minister Imran Khan has yet to recognize his potential and he keeps creating scenes in the National Assembly to prove his worth.

Pressing for the turban-banning law, he kept stressing with contempt that the British colonialists compelled the lower staff at power-displaying places to wear turbans, which had been associated with blue-blooded elite of the Mughal India. The practice was introduced to mock the dignity-related customs of the natives. It was time to discard the colonial legacy.

Syed Navid Qamar of the PPP felt too upset with rhetorical praising of the 'pedigreed-elite' to enforce a law that to him looked but 'trivial.' He didn't want the National Assembly to waste its precious time in frivolous legislation. Fawad Chaudhry stood...