Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshaid Shah Sunday reportedly contacted parliamentary leaders of opposition parties and requested them to have a joint strategy against the government move to push through a legislation designed to convert Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) into a public limited company in the joint sitting.
The government suffered a defeat in the Senate when the upper house rejected a bill moved by the ruling party to convert PIA Corporation into a public limited company. Subsequently, the bill was referred to the joint sitting.
As the government enjoys simple majority in the joint sitting of the parliament, it is unlikely to have any problem in passage of various legislation including bill to convert PIA into a public limited company, according to sources in the ruling party.
According to media reports, Khurshid Shah contracted parliamentary leaders of various political parties sitting in the opposition benches in the National Assembly to hold a joint parliamentary meeting ahead of the session and devise a joint strategy in the today's sitting. The objective of the meeting is to give tough time to the government during the joint sitting by taking a unanimous stance.
He contacted Pakistan Tahreek-e- Insaaf, Muttahida Quomi Movement (MQM as well as Pakistan Muslim League (Q) and Jaminat-e-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP) and Sherpao group. Shah spoke to Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Farooq Sattar, Pervez Elahi, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour and Sahibzada Tariqullah as well as Aftab Sherpao on telephone and requested them to hold a joint parliamentary meeting.
As per agenda of the 7th joint sitting minister uploaded on the National Assembly's website, In charge of the Cabinet Division will move a bill to provide for setting up of the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation into a public limited company and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources will move a bill for prosecution of cases of gas theft and other offences relating to gas etc.