Opposition walks out from NA: Abbasi sends for parliamentary leaders to discuss Fata bill on December 15

The opposition parties on Tuesday staged a walkout from the National Assembly on second consecutive day against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in protest for not presenting FATA reforms bill in the House for its passage. The opposition parties also constituted a parliamentary committee to hold talks with the PML-N government over the issue of FATA reforms bill.
Speaking on the floor of the House, the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah while criticizing the PML-N government said that it did not take the opposition in the loop over the withdrawal of the FATA reforms bill from the session's agenda. If the bill was held back owing to technical issues, the government should have apprised the opposition of it, he said.
He said that the government is not serious about the legislation to implement the FATA reforms. He said that the government is undermining the Parliament. "We want respect for the Parliament." The opposition leader said that seventy years have passed but "we did not resolve the problems of the people of tribal areas."
"We must work towards solving the problems of people of FATA," he said, "we hope that the government would put the FATA reforms bill in the agenda of the business of the House today (Wednesday)." "Our stance is very clear, if you don't do this [table the bill] then it is an insult to the Parliament," he said, adding "We want the Parliament to be respected."
The opposition leader further said that they will continue to stage walkouts till a clarification is given for delaying the matter. Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Shaikh Aftab Ahmed tried to pacify the opposition and said that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi had already discussed the FATA reforms bill at length and the government desired to present the bill in the Parliament after developing consensus among all the parties.
He said that the Prime Minister has invited all parliamentary leaders on Friday to discuss the FATA reforms bill. The minister said that the Prime Minister is going to Turkey on a visit and will return on Thursday. He said that after his (PM) return, he will hold discussion with all stakeholders to amicably resolve the matter. The opposition should wait until Friday, he said.
The opposition leader said if the Prime Minister would leave for Turkey in the evening, he should have attended the session. He said that the issues would get complicated if the government runs away from them instead of finding a solution. After the opposition walked out, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNA Hamid-ul-Haq pointed out the quorum due to which the session was adjourned until today (Wednesday).
Speaking to the media persons following the walkout, the opposition leader said, "We have been unable to grant basic rights to the people of FATA." He said that he would discuss the matter of reforms bill with Emir Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who has vehemently opposed the merger of the tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The opposition parties also formed a parliamentary committee on Tuesday to hold talks with the PMLN-led government over the issue. The committee was formed during a meeting between Syed Khursheed Shah and leaders of the opposition parties at his chamber. The committee comprises Aijaz Jakhrani, Farhatullah Babar, Sirajul Haq, Sahibzada Tariqullah, Mian Attique, Sheikh Salahuddin and Haji Shah Gull Afridi, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will nominate two members after consultation with Imran Khan.