Opposition announces to hold parliamentary session outside NA

ISLAMABAD: Opposition Leader Khursheed Shah announced on Tuesday to boycott the National Assembly session and to hold the next parliament session outside the parliament.

The move came in response to opposition’s demand that opposition’s speech on the budget should be given live coverage.

Khursheed Shah said, “Opposition is steadfast on its demand that its budget speech should be given live coverage.”

Chairman Senate has set the right example in this regard. If opposition’s speech in the Senate is broadcasted live then why not in the National Assembly? He asked.

All opposition parties will gather outside the parliament tomorrow, he said, adding that “we will discuss all those issues which we are not supposed to raise inside the assembly.”

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On this, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s MNA Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that government members are acting a bit ‘foolish’. They are coming in way of their own government, he added.

“This is the same opposition leader they praised in 2014. Why don’t they like him now?” Qureshi remarked.

Criticising the government, Qureshi said that when farmers take to the streets to demand their rights then they are baton-charged. Preventing the opposition from expressing its view point on budget is indicative of government’s unsuccessfulness and helplessness.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Sheikh Salahuddin remarked that opposition leader should play an independent role. While, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Sahibzada Tariq Ullah said that the government has once again fallen in its own trap. “Opposition has the right to unite over one topic.”

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Responding to remarks of the opposition members, Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain said that Khursheed Shah has played an integral role in raising different issues. “However, I don’t know what has happened that his behaviour changed over time.”

Pakistan Peoples Party never broadcasted the opposition leader’s speech live then why are they demanding it now? “We had more members then in the opposition, but we never created problems for anyone.”

During his speech, the opposition members created commotion and started chanting slogans.

Earlier in the assembly session, an interesting and poetic exchange between Khursheed Shah and Speaking of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq led to the room roaring with laughter. 

National Assembly session has been adjourned till 11am Wednesday morning.