NA session with hectic agenda today

ISLAMABAD: The MNA-elect from NA-75 Daska Ms. Syed Nosheen Iftikhar will take oath of membership tomorrow (Friday) as the summary for summoning the session of the NA has been consigned to the President. Ms. Iftikhar of PML-N was elected on Saturday last in bye-elections inflicting defeat upon PTI candidate.

The NA session will be held at 9am, and it is likely that the leader of opposition Shahbaz Sharif who was granted bail on Wednesday by LHC in a disputed NAB case, would be attending it. The sources said that the lower house of the Parliament is meeting amid acrimonious atmosphere between government and opposition which is also facing fissures. The opposition that had worked in unison during the last session of NA managed to keep the Treasury antagonized. The sources pointed out that with release of Shahbaz Sharif, opposition groups will try to mend their fences and reunite on the fringes of the sitting of Parliament. The sources pointed out that the government is keen to introduce electoral reforms through electronic voting machines (EVM) in general elections but the opposition has serious reservations about government’s intentions.

Likewise judicial reforms are also government’s priority but the opposition has declined to sit across the table with government on more than three occasions. While, the PPP had hinted early this month that it would be prepared to have dialogue with the government on electoral reforms, the other parties including the largest PML-N, JUI-F and the smaller parties are not willing to talk to the government on any subject. The sources said that the decision to clamp a ban on Tehrik Labaik Pakistan (TLP) and countrywide agitation by it would also be discussed in the upcoming session of the NA.

The PML-N led opposition has planned to raise the issue of price-hike and non-availability of essential goods on the first day of the session. The NA sitting will continue for two weeks and it will be its last gathering before the budget session being planned for the first week of June, the sources added.