The National Assembly is expected to witness stormy proceedings, as it meets on Friday afternoon. The government has a long list of legislative business to be taken up during the session, likely to continue for about a fortnight, including tabling of the draft bill against the menace of Karo Kari (honour killing).
Official sources told Business Recorder that the government intended to introduce a bill against levelling charges and mudslinging in the Lower House for which Prime Minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had directed the Law Ministry, immediately after taking over as premier.
The proposed law would bar political figures from levelling unfounded charges against their rivals. Premier Shujaat has vehemently denied having got written off bank loans, a charge frequently levelled by opposition parties.
Opposition groups, particularly Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) is poised to raise the issue of ongoing visit of the United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. Already, Opposition in the Senate on Wednesday night demanded of the government to share the details of US senior official meetings with Pakistani leadership.
"We will collectively draw attention of the House towards the use of official machinery and funds during the election campaign for premier-in-waiting Shaukat Aziz," Secretary Parliamentary Group ARD Izhar Amrohvi told Business Recorder.
He questioned the legality of rescinding the gazette notification, issued in 2002, barring governors and ministers from election unless they quit their official slots.
Amrohvi, referring to Leader of the House Senator Wasim Sajjad's contention that the notification had lost ground, after restoration of the constitution, said the Article-118 under which the notification was issued was not suspended, it remained part of the document.
The Democratic Alliance leader Senator Raza Rabbani in the Senate had spoken on July 07 about alleged misuse of the state resources in the electioneering of Shaukat Aziz and the next day, the notification was rescinded.
When asked would ARD demand of the Speaker to name Makhdoom Amin Fahim as opposition leader, after he was runner up in the election of the leader of the House, he said the situation is very clear for the speaker to act accordingly and name ARD leader as opposition leader.
"Rules are quite clear. In 1963 assembly, there is clear ruling of Moulvi Tamizuddin, the then speaker that it was job of the opposition parties or groups to prove their majority in the opposition camp," ARD secretary recalled.
Another issue to be raised is non-issuance of production order of ARD jailed President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, he added.
The previous session was prorogued sine die after Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain had taken the vote of confidence from the House and delivered his policy speech.
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