United opposition meets today

PanamaLeaks

Decision to be made on attending or boycotting Parliamentary Committee meeting; Khursheed Shah asks govt to accept their ToRs without changing a word; sees no end to deadlock

ISLAMABAD: The united opposition will meet here on Tuesday (today) to take a final decision on attending or boycotting the Parliamentary Committee’s meeting on the ToRs.

Talking to the media in his chamber at the Parliament House, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah said the PPP will take a final decision on the ToRs if negotiations with the government [on the issue] failed.

“The PPP wants to avoid street politics but if the government doesn’t change its stance we will have to rethink our decision,” he said.He said the government should accept the opposition’s ToRs without changing a word.

Khursheed said in his speech to the nation Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had presented himself for accountability but now the government was buying time.He said the government could not ignore everything while calling it a conspiracy.

“The PPP wants that the issue should be resolved in parliament, as we want to avoid street politics, but if the issue is not resolved in parliament, then we will take a decision on coming out on the streets.”

Khursheed said he had communicated former President Asif Ali Zardari’s message to Aitzaz Ahsan that the party should move on the PanamaLeaks with the consultation of opposition parties.To a question, the opposition leader said he did not see end to the deadlock between the government and the opposition on the formulation of ToRs.

To another question, he said the PPP will support the accountability of sitting members of the cabinet and former presidents, prime ministers and ex-ministers.He said former president Asif Ali Zardari had been facing cases for the last two decades but nothing could be proved against him.

To another question, Khursheed said: “The PPP will support the government on national security but when the government does not have a foreign minister, then what can the opposition do? The government seems helpless on stopping the drone attacks.”

He criticised the ruling party for ignoring Sindh in the federal budget and development projects. “Sindh is running the entire country with its revenue but it could not have a motorway so far.”