ISLAMABAD:
After a lull in informal talks on an interim set-up before elections, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) have, once again, opened channels of communication on the pretext of negotiations over a proposed accountability bill.
The draft legislation on a new independent corruption watchdog, meant to replace the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), has been pending before the National Assembly’s standing committee on law and justice for well over three years.
PPP negotiators reportedly succeeded in accosting Nawaz Sharif’s confidants, Senator Ishaq Dar and MNA Khawaja Asif, to hand over a new draft of the accountability bill.
Following the lengthy meeting, representatives from both sides claimed that the meeting focused on a “one point agenda” aimed at removing differences over contentious clauses in the proposed legislation.
Taking to media, Dar said that the accountability bill would be tabled in the National Assembly after developing consensus between the two parties. He added that a draft of the bill, shared by the PPP, would be discussed with party chief Nawaz Sharif in the coming days.
Similarly, Law Minister Farooq H Naek expressed optimism that the proposed legislation would pass through parliament after the success of consensus building between the two parties.
Representing the ruling PPP, Religious Affairs Minister Khurshid Shah and Defence Minister Naveed Qamar were also present with Naek during negotiations.
Dar, advocating his party’s public position, reiterated that no negotiations on the creation of new provinces were held during the meeting, stating that this issue was off the table.
However, party insiders in the PPP and PML-N confirmed that the primary purpose of the scheduled meeting was to conduct negotiations on issues of national importance, including the formation of a caretaker set-up and a commission on the creation of new provinces.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2012.
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As majority of people do not have confidence in both these parties therefore it should be left to the next government