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WEEKLY
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| President retreats on NRO issue |
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Tuesday, November 03, 2009
PPP decides not to table bill in parliament; allies consulted; MQM plays key role
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: The government, succumbing to widespread national opposition and due to lack of support from its coalition partners, has decided not to take the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) to parliament.
“It was decided to endorse the position taken by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on the floor of the House on Monday, and it was decided not to take the NRO to parliament,” presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said after a high-level meeting of the PPP at the Presidency on Monday night.
The meeting was presided over by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani. It was attended by federal ministers Qamar Zaman Kaira, Rehman Malik, Naveed Qamar, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Babar Awan, Khursheed Shah, Nazar Muhammad Gondal, Mohammad Afzal Sindhu, Mehreen Anwar Raja, senators Nayyar Hussain Bokhari, Jahnagir Badar, Raza Rabbani, MNA Fauzia Wahab, Rukhsana Bangash, Fauzia Habib and Farhatullah Babar.
In the communique after the meeting, Farhatullah Babar said that the president and the prime minister had consulted the coalition partners prior to the meeting. They held a consultative meeting with Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Farooq Sattar in which it was decided not to present the NRO in parliament.
The advice was also given by PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif, MQM chief Altaf Hussain and other coalition partners. The MQM played a vital role for the reversal of the decision of bringing the NRO to parliament.
The major opposition parties — the PML-N and the PML-Q — and Fata members also protested in the National Assembly on bringing the NRO to parliament.
Prime Minister Gilani, in his speech in the National Assembly, also indicated that the government was still in consultation process with the allies and had not taken any decision when to present it in the Lower House. “Whatever decision would be taken it would be taken with consensus after consultation with the coalition partners,” he told the House.
Sources said another option being discussed during the consultation process was to withdraw the bill and refer it to the standing committee back for repealing the NRO.
According to Rule 139 of the Rules and Conduct of the Business of the National Assembly, the minister may, at any stage of a bill, withdraw it with consent of the speaker and no further motion shall be made with reference to the bill.
However, according to a constitutional expert, a bill can only be withdrawn after it was presented before the House for the consideration.
When contacted and asked about the future strategy of the PPP to deal with the deadline given by the Supreme Court in its verdict on July 31, Farhatullah Babar said, “At the moment, I cannot say anything about what comes next. The decision was taken not to present the NRO in parliament and it is final.”
However, when contacted, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan said the government would follow the policy of national reconciliation, which was carved out by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.
He said the present democracy was the result of scarifies of Benazir Bhutto and the government will ensure the continuation of the present democratic set-up. Earlier, the president hosted a dinner for the MPs of the PPP and its coalition partners. It was also attended by the prime minister.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
