Abbasi, Ahsan to continue discussing in-House change with political parties

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and former federal minister Prof Ahsan Iqbal, will expand their consultation process with different political parties leadership during the session of National Assembly here to pave the way for bringing in-House change so that free and fair polls could become possible subsequently within this year.

The consultation will take place during the session days which is commencing today (Monday). The PML-N leaders had the first round of the meetings with the MQM groups in Karachi last week where future course of actions was discussed thoroughly.

Well-placed sources told The News on Sunday that the PML-N has chalked out schedule for extensive consultations with all parties, including some disgruntle members of the ruling PTI who are in contact with the opposition leaders quietly.

At the same time, PML-N led opposition has decided to give tough time to the government in Parliament on the question of price-hike, dearness of essential commodities and new taxation on petroleum products. Sugar and flour crisis will also be raised by the opposition members. The strategy will be drawn in the parliamentary group meeting of the party before the start of the proceedings of the National Assembly on Monday afternoon in the Parliament House Committee Room 2. The government will bring a bill in the National Assembly pertaining to further amending Members of Parliament (Salaries and Allowances) Act when the House will commence for its 20th session.

The legislation will facilitate the members of two houses of Parliament to acquire millions of rupees for their travelling expences instead prevalent voucher system. Despite issuance of production orders, former leader of opposition in National Assembly and a stalwart of the PPP Syed Khurshid Ahmad Shah will not be able to attend the session since he is in NAB custody and hospitalised in a Sukkur hospital.

It is likely former federal minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq will be brought by NAB for the session. His production orders have also been issued. The Secretariat of the National Assembly has issued 24 items agenda for first day meeting which includes calling attention notices on various significant issues of public interest.

The members belonging to the PML-N Chaudhry Muhammad Barjees Tahir, Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan, Muhammad Afzal Khokhar, Chaudhry Muhammad Hamid and Sheikh Saad Waseem will take up the issue of deletion of oath of finality of Prophethood of Hazrat Muhammad from Haj Forms 2020-2021, causing grave concern amongst the public through calling attention notice. The matter has been brought on the agenda.

Yet in another calling attention notice, Ms Nusrat Wahid take up pestering and discriminatory tactics by the government towards the staff of OPF educational institutes. Federal Interior Minister Pir Ijaz Ahmad Shah will introduce a bill to regulate the registration, regulation and facilitation of charities in the Islamabad Capital Territory.

He will also introduce another bill further to amend the Pakistan Arms Ordinance, 1965, to the extent of Islamabad Capital Territory. Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh will move the bill further to amend certain tax laws. The adviser will lay before the National Assembly, the Mid-Year budget review report for financial year, 2019-20. Federal Minister Azam Khan Swati will put up motion for expressing deep gratitude to the president for his address to the both Houses assembled together on 12th September, 2019.

It is likely the National Assembly will be remaining in session for two weeks. The session has been convened by the government. Leaders of the Parliamentary groups of opposition will also have a meeting for evolving united strategy to highlight the government failures on various counts, the sources said.

A meeting of house business committee under speaker will take place before start of the sitting today where participants will discuss the ways and means to keep the house proceedings smooth, the sources added.