NA Speaker invites political parties for dialogue

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar has invited political parties for a comprehensive dialogue on a four-point agenda to bring consensus on charter of economy, energy, water security and food security.

“I am ready to provide a platform to all political parties to create a consensus on the national agenda on revival of economy, energy, water and food security,” he said in a panel interview of The News and daily Jang on Friday. He talked in detail about the current political situation and said he believes that there should be no politics on the national agenda. “All should come on the same page on national issues in the interest of the country,” he said.

He said political polarization is on peak and there is a clear division between the government and the opposition due to which the parliament is not working. “The main role of the parliament is legislation but due to confrontation between the government and the opposition, legislation becomes real victim,” he said.

He said some responsible persons in the opposition want to see the parliament functional but few have made the whole opposition hostage. “The opposition does not want to see a functional parliament and government,” he said.

On the issue of electoral reforms, he said the issue of electoral reforms is a serious one and he is ready to play his due role in bringing the opposition to the negotiating table. He said he is in contact with the senior members of the both major parties of the opposition. “I had formed a five-member parliamentary committee to further the agenda of electoral reforms and engage the opposition for seeking their consensus.” He said the parliamentary committee comprises Federal Defence Minister Pervaiz Khattak, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Minister for Development Asad Umer and Advisor on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan and Special Assistant to Prime Minister Malik Amir Dogar. He said the committee has been tasked to contact the opposition and it is expected that progress will be made after Eid-ul-Fitr on the issue of electoral reforms.

He said the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms will hold its meeting when the opposition will be ready for it. He was of the view that if the electoral reforms are not made, the next general elections will see protests and Dharnas. He said PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has supported the need for electoral reforms and he is thankful to him.

In reply to a question, Qaisar said he is always ready to give the platform of parliament to the opposition. “There is the need to come out of confrontational politics and blame game,” he said and added the bill for electronic voting and right to vote for overseas Pakistan is pending with a standing committee of the National Assembly and there is the need to speed up efforts to bring the bill before the National Assembly.

In reply to another question, he said PM Imran Khan's stance on Namoos-e-Risalat, Islamophobia and blasphemy is the voice of Pakistanis. He said there would be no compromise on Namoos-e-Risalat. “I had seen letters to more than 100 Muslim parliamentarians across the globe regarding the recent incidents of Islamophobia, which caused great unrest among the Muslims globally.” He termed it most unfortunate that during the prevailing testing times, when humanity is facing the COVID-19 pandemic, the plague of hate speech, in particular Islamophobia, reigned high.

He said he has planned to hold a conference of Muslim parliamentarians in Islamabad once the situation of COVID-19 comes under control. “I will also make contacts with the European Union Parliament,” he said, adding that the European Union Parliament should withdraw its resolution against Pakistan. He said despite facing difficult situations, around 38 bills of legislation were passed. “The record shows that the opposition got maximum time in the National Assembly during my tenure,” he said.