Opp consults on military courts, other issues

ISLAMABAD: The opposition has completed internal consultations about talking with the government on the issue of extension in the military courts and matters concerning legislation.

Prior to meeting with a PPP delegation, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the PML-N core committee.

The committee includes ex-speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Senator Dr Asif Kirmani and Senator Pervaiz Rasheed.

The meeting decided that all decisions with regard to Parliament would be taken in line with decision taken in the opposition leaders’ meeting.

Later on, a PPP delegation held a meeting with Shahbaz Sharif and decided that the steering committee of the opposition will be nominated soon and the committee would be assigned to hold talks with the government on legislation including the issue of extension in the military courts.

The PPP delegation comprised Syed Khursheed Shah, Senator Sherry Rehman and Syed Naveed Qamar.

During the meeting, names for the steering committee came under discussion and a proposal came up to form a 12-member steering committee including five members from the PML-N, four from the PPP, two from MMA and one from the ANP.

According to sources, it was decided that Shahbaz Sharif will announce the names of PML-N members for the committee and the heads of other opposition parties will give the names of their representatives in the committee.

The names of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Tanveer and Rana Sanaullah Khan from the PML-N, former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Syed Khursheed Shah, Senator Sherry Rehman and Syed Naveed Qamar from the PPP, Maulana Asad Mehmood and Ms Shahida Akhtar Ali from MMA and Amir Haider Khan Hoti from the ANP echoed in the political circles for the opposition’s steering committee.

Meanwhile, talking with the newsmen after meeting Shahbaz Sharif, PPP leader Syed Khursheed Shah did not divulge the details of the meeting and restricted himself to saying that it was a routine meeting.

He said the government and opposition had agreed on the formula for heading the standing committees and the opposition will get 19 standing committees.

To a question, he said no decision had taken to make Bilawal Bhutto Zardari head of any standing committee but he will be a member of the standing committees.

Replying to another question, he said there was no need for formation of a national government and no one would support it.

“No one is interested in dislodging the government as it could fall with its own baggage,” he said.

He said the PPP wanted that the government should complete its 5-year tenure but it did not seem to be completing its tenure.

Replying to another question, Shah said the lawmakers did not need to go abroad. However, he jokingly asked if Imran Khan’s name had been placed on the ECL that he was not coming to Parliament,” he questioned.

Shah said Imran Khan was still on the container and will know the real facts after coming down.

Replying to yet another question, he said the government had completely failed on economic front and in just in five months it had put a burden of $7 billion debt on the country.

Senator Sherry Rehman said the opposition cooperation in Parliament was need of the hour to take a joint stance on key issues.

“Every party has its own ideology and manifesto but joint stances on key national issues is the need of the hour,” she said.

To a question with regard to placing the name of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on the ECL, she said it was tantamount to interfering in the provincial affairs.

“The federal government made the efforts to paralyze the Sindh government by placing the name of chief minister on the ECL,” she said.