The combined opposition in the National Assembly on Wednesday passed two resolutions unanimously in their 'Awami Assembly' wherein they condemned Chief Minister Punjab Shabaz Sharif's statement against superior judiciary and incessant load-shedding across the country. Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians MNA Nafisa Shah and Independent MNA Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar moved their separate resolutions in the mocked assembly held outside the Parliament House.
The resolution moved by Nafisa Shah says, "This Awami Assembly of the joint opposition strongly condemns the statement of Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif that threatens and maligns the superior judiciary." The resolution also says that the chief minister's statement undermines the state institutions which may threaten political stability and weaken democracy in the country.
The opposition members also urged the chief minister to retract his statement and tender unconditional apology to the superior judiciary and general public. The resolution also demanded resignation from the chief minister for obstructing proceedings of the Joint Investigation Team that is probing the Sharif family for the money laundering and their offshore assets. In the resolution moved by Amir Dogar, the opposition said, "We condemn the government for incessant load-shedding in the country as it has made life of the people a living hell."
The resolution said that people are becoming jobless due to the load-shedding, but the government is making just false promises with the public. Earlier, speaking on the budget 2017-18, the opposition members said the government has failed to provide any relief to the public as the budget document is full of exaggerations and lies.
They also criticised the government for taking excessive domestic and foreign loans and increasing non-development budget. They urged the government to allocate sufficient funds in the subsidy for farmers as agriculture is backbone of the country and over 70 per cent people are linked to it.
They said that farmers are a silent majority in the country and the government should take immediate steps to address their genuine grievances, besides offering them loans on a single digit interest rate. About the recent conflict between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the members said the government should clear its stance on the issue and tell the nation about role of Pakistan in the current situation. They, however, urged the government to stay neutral in the conflict between Arab states and play a role of mediator to get their differences resolved.