PM Imran Khan ready to speak with Opposition, says Sheikh Rasheed

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to engage with the Opposition in issues of national importance, said Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed on Tuesday. 

The prime minister has been quite vocal in the past in his criticism of the Opposition and has frequently ruled out the provision of relief to the Opposition in corruption cases.

"The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) can't do any harm to the prime minister," said Rasheed, adding that the premier had formed a 10-member team of politicians to talk to the Opposition.

Earlier, Geo News had reported that the prime minister had formed a 10-member parliamentary committee on electoral reforms to engage with the Opposition.

The prime minister had met Barrister Ali Zafar, urging him to work on electoral reforms on an emergency basis. "We learnt a lot from the recently-held Senate elections," the prime minister had said. "We will do away with the use of money and irregular practices in elections."

The prime minister said the government would try to take all political parties in the Senate on board, adding that he would also push for all pending legislation to be passed.

Speaker Asad Qaiser also asked the Opposition alliance to debate and engage with the government on important issues, in Parliament.

"I will grant Opposition the amount of time they require to debate on issues of national importance," he said, during an address at an event in Swabi.

"There should be a comprehensive debate on issues such as trade with India, inflation, and electoral reforms," he said.

Qaiser said the government's electoral reforms will try to satisfy all parties, adding that if the reforms were comprehensive, no party would cry foul after elections are held.