Joint sitting of parliament: Parliamentary opposition parties agree on joint strategy

ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary opposition parties on Tuesday agreed on a joint strategy in the parliament to give a "tough time" to the government and block controversial bills set to be passed by the government from the joint sitting of the parliament scheduled for Thursday (November 11).

The decision was made during a steering committee of the opposition which met at the chamber of the Leader of the opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, jointly chaired by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and also attended by PPP's Syed Khursheed Shah, Sherry Rehman and Shazia Marri, and PML-N's Khawaja Asif, Ayaz Sadiq, Saad Rafique and Marriyum Aurangzeb.

This was followed by a dinner hosted by leader of the opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif for the opposition parties which was attended by parliamentary leaders and senior parliamentarians by almost all the opposition parties, prominently among them PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, leader of the opposition in Senate Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) parliamentary leader in National Assembly Asad Mehmood, Awami National Party (ANP's) Ameer Haider Khan Hoti and others.

Talking to journalists after the dinner meeting, Shehbaz Sharif said that it was discussed that the country needs free, fair and transparent elections at the earliest. "It was discussed the country cannot run without holding free and transparent elections, as the Prime Minister [Imran Khan] and his government has proved to be detrimental to the country's economy," he added.

He said that people are facing prices hike on one hand while on the other hand they are dying of dengue fever. "But the government is least concerned," he added. PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto, in his talk, said that economic crisis is the biggest problem of the country and the people are faced with historic price hike, unemployment and poverty after "PTIMF deal".

"We have always raised this issue at every forum. The combined opposition has once again defeated the government in the National Assembly. This is good omen for the opposition and we will continue to defeat government with united opposition," he said while referring to the defeat of the government on two bills in the National Assembly earlier in the day. "We will get more successes in the parliament due to the unity of the opposition," he added.

When asked about the strategy to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, he said: "We are trying the same."

Addressing the opposition parliamentarians at the dinner hosted by Shehbaz Sharif, the PPP chairman said that all the opposition political parties are united under the opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif's leadership in the parliament.

"Today the opposition once again defeated the government in the National Assembly. Only the unity of opposition can defeat this government," he said, adding that PPP will play an active role with the combined opposition in the joint session of the parliament.

Today the main issue of the people is price-hike, unemployment and abject poverty in the country, he said, adding that the PPP will be active at every forum where there is opposition to the government.

Talking to reporters, Yousuf Raza Gillani said that opposition will spoil government's "conspiracy" to "bulldoze" Parliament on important bills including the controversial NAB amendment bill and the legislation with regard to the electoral reforms. He said that all opposition parties have agreed over giving a "tough time" to the government inside the Parliament.

When asked whether PPP is set to rejoin the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Gilani said that the arrangement is only aimed at cooperation within the parliament.

Talking to journalist PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the opposition has finalized a strategy to block the controversial legislation in the parliament. She said that government wants to pass 30 bills in the joint sitting. "Opposition parties are ready to thwart government's NAB Amendment Ordinance and EVM's legislation," she said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021