Taliban talks, drone strikes: Opposition to boycott NA until premier clears the air
Lawmakers demand policy statement on both issues on Monday.
After 40 minutes of consultation, the protesting members informed the deputy speaker that they have decided to refrain from the House’s business. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Major opposition parties have decided to boycott the National Assembly until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif briefs lawmakers over the proposed talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“The opposition has decided to stay away from the proceedings until Premier Nawaz takes the House into confidence on dialogue with the TTP,” said Jamaat-e-Islami’s Sahibzada Tariqullah, who was unanimously nominated as the opposition’s representative on this issue.
The lawmakers include members of Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami Muslim League and some independent MNAs from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement was the only opposition party that did not boycott the proceedings.
After 40 minutes of consultation, the protesting members informed the deputy speaker that they have decided to refrain from the House’s business.
Chief Whip Sheikh Aftab and Federal Minister for Interprovincial Coordination Riaz Pirzada failed to convince the furious opposition to attend the proceedings. “The leader of the opposition agreed to come back but the hawks did not budge,” Pirzada observed, who told the young lawmakers, whom he referred to as hawks, to learn politics.
Friday marked the fifth consecutive day of lawmakers debating on the resolution passed by opposition members that called for a discussion on the recent drone strike that killed TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud.
During the course of the proceedings, Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah observed that the government has kept opposition parties in the dark on issues pertaining to peace talks with the Taliban and drone strikes.
“The boycott will go on until the prime minister himself gives a policy statement [on peace process with the TTP] in parliament,” Shah told the media. If the TTP ruled out the possibility of talks with the government, lawmakers should be apprised of the situation, he insisted.
Shah also criticised the prime minister for rarely attending the National Assembly sessions. Apparently, the government does not give any importance to the resolutions passed as there seems to be no ensuing implementation, he said.
PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi endorsed Khursheed Shah’s statements. He explained that opinion is divided on the issue: one side claims that talks is the only way forward, while the other insists that talks should be off the table as the TTP does not even recognise the Constitution of Pakistan. Nevertheless, after the unanimous decision to go ahead with the talks in the all parties’ conference, the government did not provide any further information and there was no follow-up, maintained.
“The government has kept us in the dark since then. It’s not fair.” Qureshi added that the opposition will come up with a new strategy in case the premier failed to brief the House on Monday.
Meanwhile, AML’s Shaikh Rashid said that according to his information, the government till date has not officially contacted the TTP. “We are given no information as lawmakers. The only information we get is through the media.” He, too, criticised the prime minister for not attending National Assembly sessions, which leaves the impression that the government does not pay any heed to parliament.
In response to the opposition’s censure, Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid informed the House that lawmakers belonging to the treasury benches were attending meetings related to the formation of parliamentary committees, which was an obligation binding on them.
Before Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi adjourned the proceedings till Monday at 4pm, Riaz Pirzada assured the House that the government would wind up on November 11 the debate on the resolution.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2013.
Major opposition parties have decided to boycott the National Assembly until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif briefs lawmakers over the proposed talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“The opposition has decided to stay away from the proceedings until Premier Nawaz takes the House into confidence on dialogue with the TTP,” said Jamaat-e-Islami’s Sahibzada Tariqullah, who was unanimously nominated as the opposition’s representative on this issue.
The lawmakers include members of Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jamaat-e-Islami, Awami Muslim League and some independent MNAs from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement was the only opposition party that did not boycott the proceedings.
After 40 minutes of consultation, the protesting members informed the deputy speaker that they have decided to refrain from the House’s business.
Chief Whip Sheikh Aftab and Federal Minister for Interprovincial Coordination Riaz Pirzada failed to convince the furious opposition to attend the proceedings. “The leader of the opposition agreed to come back but the hawks did not budge,” Pirzada observed, who told the young lawmakers, whom he referred to as hawks, to learn politics.
Friday marked the fifth consecutive day of lawmakers debating on the resolution passed by opposition members that called for a discussion on the recent drone strike that killed TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud.
During the course of the proceedings, Leader of the Opposition Khursheed Shah observed that the government has kept opposition parties in the dark on issues pertaining to peace talks with the Taliban and drone strikes.
“The boycott will go on until the prime minister himself gives a policy statement [on peace process with the TTP] in parliament,” Shah told the media. If the TTP ruled out the possibility of talks with the government, lawmakers should be apprised of the situation, he insisted.
Shah also criticised the prime minister for rarely attending the National Assembly sessions. Apparently, the government does not give any importance to the resolutions passed as there seems to be no ensuing implementation, he said.
PTI’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi endorsed Khursheed Shah’s statements. He explained that opinion is divided on the issue: one side claims that talks is the only way forward, while the other insists that talks should be off the table as the TTP does not even recognise the Constitution of Pakistan. Nevertheless, after the unanimous decision to go ahead with the talks in the all parties’ conference, the government did not provide any further information and there was no follow-up, maintained.
“The government has kept us in the dark since then. It’s not fair.” Qureshi added that the opposition will come up with a new strategy in case the premier failed to brief the House on Monday.
Meanwhile, AML’s Shaikh Rashid said that according to his information, the government till date has not officially contacted the TTP. “We are given no information as lawmakers. The only information we get is through the media.” He, too, criticised the prime minister for not attending National Assembly sessions, which leaves the impression that the government does not pay any heed to parliament.
In response to the opposition’s censure, Minister for Science and Technology Zahid Hamid informed the House that lawmakers belonging to the treasury benches were attending meetings related to the formation of parliamentary committees, which was an obligation binding on them.
Before Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi adjourned the proceedings till Monday at 4pm, Riaz Pirzada assured the House that the government would wind up on November 11 the debate on the resolution.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2013.