Imran Khan’s boycott of parliamentary session beyond reason, says Khursheed Shah

ISLAMABAD: Opposition leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah criticised Imran Khan’s decision to boycott the joint parliamentary session held on Wednesday, saying it was beyond reason.

Prior to the start of the session Shah said: “The joint parliamentary session is being held on the recommendation of the opposition. Imran Khan’s decision to boycott it does not make any sense.”

The opposition leader said it is not about PML-N, PPP or PTI, rather the session was about the Kashmir issue. He added that the PTI chief’s decision to boycott the session would not send out a positive message across the border.

Khursheed Shah pointed out that PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi had participated in the All Parties Conference that the Prime Minister had called, and demanded to know why the party had now decided to boycott the parliamentary session.

“If Imran Khan announced the boycott by mistake then he should come back,” Khursheed Shah added.

PTI chairman Imran Khan reiterated his decision to boycott the joint parliamentary session today, despite drawing criticism from senior politicians and parliamentarians.

"I stand by my decision of not taking part in the parliamentary session. No gains were made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's participation in the All Parties Conference," Imran Khan said in a statement earlier.

Jamat-e-Islami, which supports the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, appealed to Imran Khan to reconsider his decision for the sake of national security.

Pakistan People's Party leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the PTI had participated in the All Parties Conference. "That day they accepted the Prime Minister. Now they don't. Nawaz Sharif is prime minister of Pakistan, whether they accept it or not,” he said.