Delayed formality: Imran to take oath, address NA on June 19

PTI chairman likely to talk about internal security, drone strikes and the energy crisis.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan will be sworn in as a National Assembly member on June 19 as he missed the official oath-taking ceremony on June 1 on grounds of ill health.

Imran will address the House after taking oath; party leaders familiar with the content of his speech say that internal security, drone strikes and the energy sector will be its focus.

The leader could not attend the oath-taking ceremony on June 1 as he was recovering from head and back injuries at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and at home after he fell off a forklift during an election rally in Lahore on May 7.

Through his official twitter account, Imran confirmed that he will be attending the NA Session on June 19. “I will be taking oath in NA on June 19 and will speak about the budget the same day.” On Monday he tweeted: “My address to the Parliament will lay out PTI’s policy on crucial national issues.”



Party officials reveal that the PTI chief will urge Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to declare an emergency in the energy sector to resolve the power crisis.  The five reforms he will propose to make Pakistan an energy secure state are: resolving the circular debt through lower cost production, diverting resources to maximise energy production, bringing load-shedding to a manageable level on an urgent basis and reducing cost of generation and line losses.

Moreover, the party chief will push for a debate on defence spending in the Lower House, anti-corruption policies and good governance, expenditure reform, revenue collection reform and human capital development, they added

Security, terrorism and drones

Imran’s speech will announce PTI’s assistance for reaching out to Baloch exiles and addressing the political grievances of the Baloch and tribal people, party officials said.

The chairman will push the government to convince militants to drop arms and proceed to the dialogue table.

Regarding a counter-terrorism policy, Imran will push the government to chalk up a comprehensive approach to end militancy and extremism.

Apart from that, PTI chief, in his speech, will urge the government to detach Pakistan from the US-led war on terror and take up the issue of drone strikes with Washington directly.

The address will propose that de-weaponisation across the country, along with dissolution of militant wings of political parties, should be administered to immediately.

It will also be advised that the National Counter Terrorism Authority should be made an effective single body with high-level representation from the armed and paramilitary forces, coupled with civilian experts and intelligence personnel.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2013.