Government contacts opposition for smooth sailing of NA session

ISLAMABAD: The government Friday contacted the opposition to seek its cooperation for smooth sailing of the current National Assembly session.

The first meeting drew a blank. However, it was decided to meet again for the second round Monday afternoon prior to the session. The government team, led by Defense Minister Pervez Khattak, came into the chamber of the opposition leader to seek their cooperation.

The government team was headed by Defense Minister Pervez Khattak and comprised Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan and PTI Chief Whip in the National Assembly Aamir Dogar.

The opposition was represented by former prime ministers Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Raja Pervez Ashraf, Syed Naveed Qamar, Secretary General PML-N Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Rana Tanveer, Khurram Dastagir, JUI–F’s Salahuddin and Moshin Dawar.

According to sources, the opposition complained that on the one hand, the federal ministers alleged that the opposition was seeking NRO, on the other the government team came for NRO to run the National Assembly session.

Khattak suggested a meeting with the Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser prior to the assembly session Monday evening. A source said the opposition complained a lot agains Asad Qaiser and told the government team that they had no personal enmity against the Speaker National Assembly but he was powerless and acted like a PTI speaker instead of representing the whole house.

The opposition also expressed annoyance at summoning the session on a short notice. The opposition also complained that their parliamentary leaders were not allowed to speak in the House.

The opposition said the production orders of the detained legislators, including the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, should have been issued for the current session.

The opposition made it clear that they will not ask for issuance of production orders of detained legislators, as whenever they asked for it, the government started propagating that the opposition was seeking the NRO.

Pervez Khattak assured the opposition that the notification pertaining to the summoning of the session would be issued two days before the date of convening the session. Khattak offered a meeting of opposition leaders with Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser prior to the assembly session on Monday.

Talking with the media after the meeting, PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal said the government team came for seeking their cooperation for the current session but they made it clear to them that their cooperation will only be extended on people-friendly issues.

Ahsan said the government did not know how to run the Parliament’s session. “Speaker National Assembly has become controversial for not giving time to the opposition on the floor of the House,” he said.

Syed Naveed Qamar of PPP said the government had come to seek their cooperation for smooth sailing of the National Assembly session. “The second round of the meeting will be held on Monday,” he said.

He said it was responsibility of the government to create a conducive environment for smooth sailing of the assembly session.