PML-Q seeks opposition’s cooperation: Joint session of parliament
By Our Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD April 12: The ruling PML-Q has launched a campaign to ensure smooth holding of the forthcoming joint session of parliament which would be addressed by President Pervez Musharraf.
The PML-Q President and government’s chief negotiator Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Friday contacted the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal through its deputy secretary-general Hafiz Hussain Ahmed by telephone. The PML-Q chief reportedly asked the MMA leader to help the government in smooth functioning of the joint session.
The sources said the government was making allout efforts to avoid the situation it faced in the previous sessions of the National Assembly and Senate when the MMA-led opposition blocked proceedings over the issue of Legal Framework Order.
The sources said as a precautionary step the government had delayed expansion in the federal cabinet to eliminate any chance for the opposition to resort to agitation during the president’s speech.
Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said though the alliance wanted democratic process to continue and was ready to cooperate with the Jamali government, it could not make any compromise on the LFO and the president’s decision to hold the office of the COAS, the sources added.
Talking to Dawn by phone, Hafiz Hussain said he had completed consultations over the government’s request with alliance’s secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rahman after travelling to Dera Ismail Khan and had now reached Lahore to discuss the issue with Qazi Hussain Ahmed.
He refused to give details of the talks he held with top alliance leaders but made it clear that the MMA would continue to seek cooperation from other opposition parties in both the houses.
Mr Hussain said: “Our options are open and we will chalk out a strategy for the joint session in consultation with other opposition parties in the next couple of days.”
He said the MMA parliamentary party would meet on April 15 and in the afternoon hold talks with other opposition parties to discuss the line of action to be adopted in both the houses.
He said Chaudhry Shujaat in his telephonic conversation with him had said that talks with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal would continue on all issues. He, however, sought an assurance that unlike past this time the alliance would not create a rumpus at the joint sitting.
Mr Hussain said he also protested against the statements of information minister Sheikh Rashid that the
LFO was part of the Constitution.
To convene the joint session of parliament tentatively on or around April 21, the National Assembly session has already been convened by the president on April 15 and the Senate on April 17 so that members of both the houses are available to attend the all-important joint session which is to be addressed by President Gen Pervez Musharraf.
Meanwhile, the National Alliance has decided to float its own proposals for the solution of constitutional problems.
Secretary-general of the NA and Millat Party senator Mohammad Ali Durrani said all efforts should be made for the restoration of democratic system in letter and spirit and for this purpose his party was ready to cooperate with opposition.
Talking to Dawn, he said confrontation and constitutional deadlock was not in favour of any side and would only weaken the system.
