Murad accuses opposition of exploiting parliament

Communications Minister Murad Saeed has alleged that the opposition just wanted to get personal benefits and the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) through parliament by boycotting meetings called by the government on key matters.

“It has proven once again that in opposition’s eye, parliament’s purpose is nothing other than getting personal benefits and making a demand for the NRO,” he was quoted as saying in a statement issued on Monday in reaction to opposition decision to boycott the meeting called by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Gilgit-Baltistan.

He also alleged that the “Zardari-League,” as per its tradition, fled from the meeting, which was convened in consultation with Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. “They [PPP] always flee whenever invited for a discussion on any important national issue,” Murad said.

The minister claimed that the opposition was pursuing the agenda of protecting their properties and had nothing to do with resolving national issues. The opposition talked about elections in a press conference, however, it fled away when suggestions were invited, he added.

“Once again non-seriousness of those, who give lectures on the supremacy of parliament on TV shows, have been exposed,” Murad said, adding that supremacy of parliament was reflected through legislation on national issues and matters of public importance that were not the “priority of opposition”.

The opposition had also given the government tough time on bills related to the Financial Action Task Force, however, despite such resistance the latter had lost as the government had passed the bills by majority in the joint session of parliament. Moreover, they were unable to gather majority to oust Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.

Murad alleged that the opposition considered parliament just a place to blackmail the government on important national issues, deliver speeches and flee away.

The minister expressed confidence that G-B would get its all rights under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan. In past, he added the previous

governments had ignored the G-B Assembly’s resolutions, but the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) after coming into power started work on it.

In October 2018, he said, the Kashmir Affairs and G-B ministry had brought in the federal cabinet a summary in light of the G-B Assembly’s resolutions. Murad said the PTI government was moving towards giving the “provisional provincial status” to the G-B by evolving consensus among all stakeholders.