ISLAMABAD: The opposition Tuesday unanimously rejected the government’s mantra of NRO and decided to adopt a joint strategy both inside and outside Parliament to give tough time to the government on important national issues.
“The opposition parties have agreed to constitute an alliance,” said former president of Pakistan and PPPP President Asif Ali Zardari while talking to newsmen after attending the opposition leaders’ meeting held in the chamber of Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif at the Parliament House.
The meeting lasted over two and half an hour.
It was principally decided to adopt a united stance on national issues both inside and outside Parliament and to constitute a steering committee for devising a united policy on social, economic, democratic and human rights issues.
The meeting, held at the invitation of Shahbaz Sharif, was attended by Asif Ali Zardari, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Syed Khursheed Shah, Senator Sherry Rehman and Syed Naveed Qamar from the PPP, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, acting Secretary General PML-N Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Rana Sanaullah Khan, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Dr Asif Kirmani and Marriyum Aurangzeb from the PML-N, Maulana Abdul Wasey from the MMA, Amir Haider Hoti from the ANP, and Agha Hassan Baloch and Hashim Hotizai from the Balochistan National Party.
Balochistan National Party (Mengal), a coalition Partner of PTI, also attended.
Zardari faced quizzing journalists outside the opposition leader’s chamber when he came out after attending the meeting.
Asked if the opposition had agreed to constitute an alliance, Zardari replied, “Yes, we have agreed to form an alliance.”
Speaking on the occasion, Shahbaz Sharif along with Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and other opposition leaders told newsmen that all issues of national importance confronting the country had come under discussion and the opposition would take a joint stance on them.
Shahbaz said a committee would be constituted that would raise important issues with the government including that of the military courts.
“Inflation, unemployment are on the rise. The foreign investors are unwilling to invest in the country. The government stands exposed in just five months proving its incompetence. Power and gas tariffs have been increased. Instead of gas, furnace oil is being used to produce electric power. The power tariff and loadshedding have increased,” said Shahbaz.
He said investors were leaving the country, while the rise in dollar rate had brought a tsunami of price hike in the country.
Shahbaz said the award of Mohmand Dam contract on a single bid had turned into a major scandal and when the opposition advised fresh bidding they were abused.
To a question, he said all the opposition parties would have representation in the steering committee that will discuss the issue of military courts’ extension whenever the government contacted them.
“We will take the decision in the best interest of the nation and will not make any compromise on the people’s right,” he added.
Responding to a question about the issue of extension in the military courts, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the steering committee would take a consensus decision on the issue.
He also expressed his desire to revisit the Charter of Democracy (CoD) signed between Benazir Bhutto Shaheed and Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.
He said the opposition's human and democratic rights were under attack from all sides by the government, but the opposition leaders would make no compromise on those two rights.
"The opposition today decided on a very good strategy to form a committee and have a joint opposition inside Parliament as well as outside," the PPP chairman said.
Maulana Asad Mehmood of JUI-F said people wanted to see a united opposition that was fulfilled.
He said a single platform of opposition parties was needed to protect the interest of the people of Pakistan.
ANP leader Amir Haider Hoti termed the opposition’s alliance an extraordinary political achievement and said the opposition was united on all the national issues.
He said there was complete consensus among the opposition parties on formation of the steering committee.
In an announcement made after the meeting, the PML-N said the opposition leaders’ meeting held at the invitation of Shahbaz Sharif had deliberated on the country’s overall politico-economic situation.
The meeting decided to oppose the upcoming mini-budget in the National Assembly and expressed concern over the closure of many TV channels and newspapers due to restrictions placed by the government.
The meeting agreed that the country’s economy was in deep trouble due to the government’s incompetence.
It said inflation had increased due to which people were facing record price hike. The meeting expressed concern over the rise in power and gas tariffs as well drug prices.
The meeting was of view that power tariff and loadshedding were on the rise speaking volumes for the government’s incompetence.
It said growth rate had reduced and unemployment was on the rise due to the government’s failed economic policies.
It was observed that the government’s economic policies were now threatening national security.
The meeting expressed concern over 33 percent depreciation of rupee against dollar and $40 billion loss suffered by the stock exchange in last five months.
The meeting condemned the government for meddling in the affairs of provincial governments and violating their autonomy.
The meeting condemned the government for trying to dislodge an elected government in Sindh and termed it an anti-federation measure.
It was decided that no compromise would be made on the constitutional, democratic, and economic rights, and the people’s rights would be jointly defended.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters on his arrival at the Parliament House, Zardari said the government neither knew the definition of the NRO nor was it in a position to give it to anyone.
“This government is not a position to give NRO and we did not need any NRO,” Zardari said.
When a journalist sought Zardari’s comment on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s statement that the NA walkout by the opposition was a "pressure tactic to seek an NRO”, Zardari responded, “The opposition has been staging walkouts since day one and why will it seek an NRO when the government is not in a position to give anything?”
When a reporter questioned Bilawal Bhutto Zardari about the prime minister’s tweet, he said the PM did not come into Parliament and he did not know what was going on in Parliament.
“Khan Sahib had claimed that he would be the first prime minister who will reply questions in Parliament, but this promise also proved false,” he said.
About the military courts, Bilawal said it was difficult for the party to support their extension.
“I think it would be difficult for the PPP to support extension [in the military courts],” he said.
He said the government had neither approached the PPP nor brought the bill in Parliament in this regard.
When the same question was put to Shahbaz Sharif, he said it was a baseless allegation and he did not want to respond.