The government's inability to maintain quorum in the National Assembly prompted President Pervez Musharraf to step in and he has summoned the ruling coalition parliamentarians on March 25 to discuss the matter threadbare. Talking to newsmen in his chamber, Pakistan Muslim League President Shujaat Hussain on Friday conceded that the government had failed to maintain quorum in the House. He informed the newsmen that President Musharraf has summoned a meeting of the ruling parliamentarians on March 25. However, he refused to give further details about the meeting. He said that venue of the meeting has not been finalised yet.
Shujaat said that he had requested the Prime Minister to take immediate steps to amicably solve the quorum problem. The PML President suggested that ministers, ministers of state, and parliamentary secretaries would be bound to remain in the premises of the National Assembly during the proceedings. On the other hand, ruling party members would be given incentives to maintain the quorum. Shujaat said that members who would ensure maximum presence be given extra Rs 2.5 million development funds for their respective constituencies.
Members who would ensure 60 percent presence in the House would be given more representation in foreign delegations.
Besides these recommendations, Chief Whip Nasrullah Dareshak would be more empowered while deputy chief whip would also be appointed in this regard.
He said that there was a proposal that quorum condition should be abolished on the pattern of UK parliament. About changes in the Cabinet, Shujaat said that there was no possibility of change in the Shaukat Aziz Cabinet.
About Sindh crisis, the PML President said that inquiry report of Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Imtiaz Sheikh controversy had been handed over to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister had been informed about all facts and he would make final announcement within a week, he added.
When asked that the inquiry committee cleared Imtiaz Sheikh, Shujaat refused to comment and said that Prime Minister was in a better position to comment on it.