Senior leaders from PTI, PML-N and PPP acknowledged an 'understanding' had been reached to support certain steps in the 'best national interest,' background interviews revealed to Business Recorder.
Shibli Faraz, leader of the House in the Senate and a senior PTI leader, while talking to Business Recorder dispelled the impression that there was any 'deal' struck with the opposition: support for critical legislation in parliament in return for relief in corruption cases to senior party leaders.
"The government and the opposition have reached an 'understanding' to a certain level on important legislation relating to National Accountability Bureau (NAB), FATF and IMF. This cooperation between the government and the opposition will trigger an overall positive atmosphere in days to come," he said. To a question whether this 'understanding' will extend to the federal government's desire to amend the existing distribution of financial resources between the provinces and the federation, he said: "it is premature to say anything at this stage, but we are in the government and it always needs the opposition's cooperation in taking such important decisions".
Senator Mushahidullah Khan, vice president of PML-N, denied that his party has made any 'deal' for whatever reasons, adding that the party has extended support to the government in legislation, especially a vote in favour of the amendment to the Pakistan Army Act as well as other upcoming important legislations in the 'best national interest'. "It was a unilateral and unconditional support which the party extended to the government and any future cooperation will be linked to the government's attitude," he said, adding that the opposition will not support any move aimed at reducing the share of the provinces in the NFC.
The PML-N leader criticized the government's economic policies, saying that due to the incompetence of the PTI government and its economic team, the country is facing the worst economic crisis ever.
Saeed Ghani, PPP's provincial minister for Information and Labour in Sindh, also rejected that any 'deal' had been struck with the government, saying that the party is ready to cooperate with the government in the larger national interest.
He stated that PPP will never compromise on the rights of the provinces guaranteed through 18th constitutional amendment and the NFC award. "The 18th amendment was passed with consensus giving more autonomy to the federating units and there is no possibility of making any compromise on slashing rights of the provinces," he added.
The ice between government and the opposition began to melt after the latter withdrew a no-confidence motion against deputy speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri.
A consensus between the opposition and the treasury benches was reached during a meeting held in the National Assembly Speaker's chamber on the passage of 11 ordinances by the House on November 7, 2019 after Speaker Asad Qaiser, agreed that the ordinances were bulldozed in 'haste' without giving due right to the members and standing committees concerned to hold a constructive debate. The meeting decided that some of the withdrawn ordinances would be sent to the standing committees concerned and others would be discussed in the house.