Shah Mahmood, Khursheed agree to bring resolution against Altaf

ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday agreed to bring a resolution in the Senate and the National Assembly against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain.

Shah Mahmood called on the PPP leaders Khursheed Shah and Aitzaz Ahsan at the chamber of the opposition leader in the National Assembly. They discussed the opposition strategy on the Panama Papers issue, violence in held Kashmir and the political situation in the country.

In the meeting, Shah Mahmood Qureshi extended an invitation to the PPP to attend the PTI’s September 3 rally in Lahore while the PPP sought time for consultation with the party on the invitation.

It was decided in the meeting that the combined opposition will not attend the parliamentary committee meeting on the formulation of the Terms of Reference (ToRs) for probing the PanamaLeaks as they viewed it had become redundant.

Qureshi assured Khursheed Shah and Aitzaz Ahsan that the PTI would support Aitzaz Ahsan’s bill on ToRs for probing the PanamaLeaks that was drafted on the basis of ToRs of the combined opposition. “All the PTI senators signed the bill,” he added.

Talking to newsmen, Qureshi said that it was decided that both the parties would jointly raise the issue of Altaf Hussain’s anti-Pakistan speech in the upcoming session of the NA on September 2.

He said: “The parliamentary committee on ToRs has already become redundant due to non-flexible attitude of the government despite all the efforts of Aitzaz Ahsan. In the last meeting, the MQM had also disassociated from the parliamentary committee. Now there is no possibility of re-joining the parliamentary committee as all the opposition parties including the PML-Q and Jamaate-e-Islami, have expressed their serious reservations about the government attitude.” 

Qureshi added that PTI would support Aitzaz Ahsan-drafted bill on probing the PanamaLeaks in both the houses. “The PTI will also get approved the bill on ToRs for probing the PanamaLeaks from the provincial assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said.

He said the PTI has also sought the advice from Aitzaz Ahsan on its petition filed before the Supreme Court with regard to PanamaLeaks. He added that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s stance on the PanamaLeaks represents the sentiments of the people.

Aitzaz Ahsan said, “There is complete understanding between PTI and PPP on the issue of probing of the PanamaLeaks and wanted the accountability to start from the prime minister and his family and all the opposition parties are on same page on this issue. The prime minister and his family should present themselves for accountability as it was a golden opportunity for them to clear their names if they have not done anything wrong.” 

He clarified that PPP was not considering filing a petition in the Supreme Court on the issue of PanamaLeaks but would lend support to the PTI petition.  He said the PPP will only participate in the PTI rally after permission of the leadership.