The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs on Tuesday sought an explanation from the government over its agreement with Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran (TMQ) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri. The committee added a briefing on the pact in the agenda for its upcoming session. The Tuesday's meeting was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Syed Mumtaz Alam Gilani.
During the meeting, Shireen Arshad Khan, a member of the committee from the PML-N, said even members of the government were of the view that the agreement with Qadri had no constitutional importance. Khan further questioned as to why talks were held with the TMQ chief when the accord was of no legal significance.
The committee then decided to seek an explanation from the government over the agreement at its upcoming meeting. It also directed Law Minister Farooq H Naek - who was absent from Tuesday's meeting - to appear at the next meeting. Qadri had reached the agreement with the government in January after holding a sit-in in Islamabad which lasted four days.
The agenda of the sit-in was to obtain assurances for a clean up of the system, consultation with the army and judiciary and dissolution of the assemblies and the election commission. However, the TMQ chief went back with a vague date for assemblies' dissolution and a promise that he would be consulted again by the government and that he would suggest two names for a caretaker prime minister. Qadri, who played a role in backing a military coup in 1999, had returned to Pakistan from Canada over a month ago to lead a call for electoral reforms in order to bar "corrupt politicians" from office.
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