The opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly Saturday conveyed to the government that they would be in a position to respond the proposed charter of economy if Prime Minister Imran Khan contacts them directly.
The sources privy to the development told Business recorder that Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) Khursheed Shah and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) Ayaz Sadiq met with the govt's chief whip in the National Assembly Amir Dogar and Ali Muhammad Khan during the budget meeting. The leaders discussed the charter of economy in the meeting where the opposition said the prime minister should contact them directly regarding the charter of economy, sources said.
They said both the opposition MPs told Dogar that their offer to help the government must not be taken as a weakness as they are ready to help the government work on a charter of economy in order to steer the country out of the prevailing crisis.
Responding to a question about the National Reconcil-iation Ordinance (NRO), the PPP leader said, "If I did not ask for an NRO eight years and three months ago, why would I ask about it now?"
"On one side they want to speak about the economy and on the other hand they are accusing us of asking for an NRO. Now Imran Khan needs to contact us for the charter of economy," said Shah.
"Whenever we speak to them, it seems like we are asking for an NRO. They need the NRO," he said, adding, "If the opposition does not participate in the voting, it would be negative. Doing so would be giving a freehand to the government."
A day earlier, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said the prime minister had agreed to the constitution a special committee on charter of economy to cope with economic challenges facing the country.
In a series of tweets posted on his social media account, Qaiser said he had a meeting with the prime minister and they discussed different legislative, political and economic issues.
"The Prime Minister agreed to constitute a special committee on charter of economy to cope with the economic challenges. We will get the opposition onboard for this greater cause of our country. This special committee for economy will consider only current economic conditions and will propose solutions," Qaiser tweeted.