Opposition boycott enters fifth day as Fata deadlock persists

ISLAMABAD: The opposition parties boycotted the proceedings of the National Assembly for the fifth day on Friday as the Fata reforms bill is still missing from agenda of the day.

The opposition members left the House after registering their protest and immediately pointed out the lack of quorum resulting in suspension of proceedings for 50 minutes. Speaker Sardar Ayaz adjourned proceedings till Monday evening when he found the quorum incomplete after the break. Naveed Qamar of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) accused the government of deceiving the opposition.

“Why the government which has no moral courage is giving a lollypop to the opposition,” he said. Shaikh Rasheed Ahmed complained about the return of some MNAs, including himself, when they reached the Prime Minister’s House. “We were told that you are not invited to the meeting with the prime minister,” he said. He said they had learnt that the prime minister had invited all the parliamentary leaders for a meeting on breakfast.

The speaker in a light mood offered Shaikh Rasheed to have breakfast in his chamber and bill of the same will be sent to the Minister for Safron who had invited them. Shaikh Rasheed asked the government to resolve the issue of Fata as soon as possible to end uncertainty.

Shah G Gul Afridi from Fata said the government is delaying the issue of Fata reforms for the sake of two personalities. MQM’s Sheikh Salahuddin said the house could not dispose of many important agenda items due to the deadlock over the Fata reforms issue. Sher Akbar Khan, from Jamaat-e-Islami, also stressed the need to resolve the Fata reforms issue. “Government should bring the Fata reforms bill in the house for legislation,” he said.

Ghous Bux Mehar of PML-Functional said some of the people were trying to declare Fata as territory out of Pakistan saying the legislation would remove all the reservations. Meanwhile, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Friday asked Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Tariq Fazal Chaudhry to suspend federal secretary of the ministry for three days for not giving replies to five questions during Question Hour.

“Answers of five questions had not been given, will you suspend the secretary or I should write to the prime minister of his suspension for three days,” he said. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry assured the Speaker that administrative action would be taken against the secretary and he would be suspended.