Claim: The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), comprising PTI-backed independents, rejected the resolution to stop the bombing in Gaza, presented by PPP MNA Shazia Marri in the National Assembly.
Fact: While there was initial opposition to the motion, including from the SIC, this was before the full context of the resolution was understood. Once the speaker clarified that it pertained to the bombing in Gaza, both the government and the opposition supported it, and the resolution was almost unanimously passed.
What’s happening in Gaza?
On 7 October 2023, the Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, launched a “surprise attack” on Israel via sea, land, and air. In response, the Israeli government formally declared war on Hamas on 8 October 2023.
As of 27 March, at least 32,490 people have been killed in Gaza, Palestine, and 74,889 Palestinians were injured, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Fact or Fiction?
On 15 March 2024, X (formerly Twitter) user Qais Ali (@QaisAliCh) shared a video claiming (archive) that it shows the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) — which comprises of PTI-backed independent candidates — rejecting a resolution presented by PPP parliamentarian Shazia Marri in the National Assembly about halting bombing in Gaza, Palestine.
His tweet reads,
“شازیہ مری نے قومی اسمبلی میں غزہ پر بمباری روکنے کے لیۓ قرارداد پیش کی۔
اس قراداد کو متفقہ طور پر منظور کرنا چاہیۓ تھا۔
لیکن تحریک انصاف نے اسے مسترد کر دیا۔
یہ ہے ان کا اصل چہرہ
[Translation: Shazia Marri presented a resolution in the National Assembly to stop the bombing of Gaza.
The agreement had to be approved unanimously.
But PTI rejected it.
This is their real face]”
Soch Fact Check found the claim to be misleading. In the 28-second clip, Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Marri says, “Motion moved”, followed by speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq saying, “Now put the motion to the house. The question is that the motion has moved, be adopted. All those in favour of the motion, say I”. After affirmative responses from parliamentarians, the speaker confirms by asking again, “All those in favour of the motion may say I”. Sadiq then asks, “All those against it may say no.” When some respond with “no”, the Speaker questions, “Are you saying no for [demanding ceasefire in] Gaza?”. Chants of shame ensue.
Soch Fact Check found a longer clip shared by Independent Urdu, revealing that the incomplete clip circulating on social media is misleading. The clip suggests that the SIC members sitting on opposition benches rejected the resolution. However, the full video shows that initially, some opposition members rejected the motion without understanding its content. When reminded by the speaker that it concerned the bombing in Gaza, it was supported by both treasury and opposition benches, and the resolution was later passed. SIC did support this resolution eventually, contrary to viral posts.
In his concluding remarks, the speaker said the resolution has almost been “unanimously passed”. Marri can also be heard saying in the clip that all political parties in the House had signed the resolution.
PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan also refuted the claim that members of his party rejected the Gaza resolution. In a YouTube video shared on his official channel on 16 March, the politician stated that he, along with Amir Dogar and other fellow parliamentarians, signed the resolution, which can be verified against the assembly’s official record. He further explained that Asad Qaiser proposed the resolution to be unanimously presented by the entire assembly, rather than solely presented by the government or the PPP. Additionally, he emphasised that when the resolution was presented, it received unanimous support from all members.
A 15 March report by Arab News stated that Pakistan’s newly elected National Assembly passed a resolution “categorically condemning” Israel’s war in Palestine. The resolution, presented by Marri, denounced the continued Israeli aggression, which has led to the loss of over thirty thousand lives of Palestinians since October 2023. It urged the federal government to take a more proactive stance in advocating for an international ceasefire in Gaza.
Virality:
On Facebook, the claim was posted here, here, here, here and here.
The claim can be found here, here, here, here and here on X.
The tweet by @QaisAliCh gained significant traction with 248,800 views, 1,600 likes and 1,000 reposts.
Conclusion: After initial opposition from some members of the SIC, the resolution calling to halt bombing in Gaza was supported by both the treasury and opposition benches and ultimately passed. A shorter version of the clip, showing only the initial opposition, has been widely shared on social media, contributing to the spread of misleading information about the SIC’s stance on the resolution.
Background image in cover photo: AFP
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