Shehbaz hosts dinner: Opposition parties discuss strategy for joint sitting

ISLAMABAD: The united opposition has completed consultations on the joint sitting of the Parliament, deciding that all opposition parties should ensure the presence of their members at the joint session of both the houses of the parliament.

They agreed to thwart possible government legislation on electoral reforms, NAB ordinance and other legislation in the upcoming joint sitting of the Parliament.

Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly and President PMLN Shehbaz Sharif hosted the dinner meeting for parliamentarians of the opposition parties including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Opposition Leader in the Senate Yusuf Raza Gilani, Khurshid Shah, Sherry Rehman from the PPP, Maulana Asad Mehmood and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri from the JUIF, Ameer Haider Khan Hoti from the ANP, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khwaja Asif from the PMLN and all the MNAs and senators of the opposition parties attended the dinner meeting.

Addressing the dinner meeting of the united opposition, Shehbaz Sharif said the government was not as embarrassed in the House as it was today. He said the opposition would play a more active and decisive role in the coming days.

He said the government was defeated in the National Assembly on Tuesday. Shehbaz said the opposition would protest against the government at every forum and also stop the NAB ordinance in any case and go to the courts. “Imran Khan Niazi wants an NRO for himself and his close cronies,” he said.

Shehbaz said he wanted to convey a message on behalf of himself and PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif to all the members that they should ensure participation in the meetings of both the houses of Parliament.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while addressing the diner reception, said all the opposition parties were united under the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif's leadership in the parliament. “Today the opposition once again defeated the government in the National Assembly and only the unity of opposition can defeat the government,” he said.

He said the PPP would play an active role with the combined opposition in the joint session of the parliament. “Today the main issues of the people are price-hike, unemployment and abject poverty in the country,” he said.

He said the PPP would be active at every forum where there would be opposition to the government. After the dinner, Bilawal told the media the opposition would get more successes in the parliament due to unity in its ranks.

Responding to a question whether the prime minister was on his way out, the PPP chairman said they were making efforts for that. Shehbaz Sharif told the media the country was in such a state that people were demanding old Pakistan.

Asked whether new elections were needed in the country or the prime minister would be replaced, Shehbaz said the country needed fresh, free, fair and transparent elections. “The country could not move ahead unless free, fair and transparent elections were held here. The prime minister has damaged the country’s economy to the core,” he added.