April 20, 2003	Sunday	Safar 17, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, April 19: The president and parliamentary leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Q Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said on Saturday that the government had decided to bring its agenda of legislative business in the National Assembly when it resumes its session on Monday.

Talking to Dawn, Chaudhry Shujaat said that the party had decided to put off the holding of the joint session since there was no constitutional compulsion on holding the presidential address.

The legislative agenda of the ruling alliance was finalized by the law department in consultation with the PML-Q parliamentary leader on Saturday.

Chaudhry Shujaat said that some important bills like the anti-terrorism courts bill and the crop insurance bill were pending before the house. Similarly, he said the government had decided to announce an economic package for the alleviation of poverty.

He termed absurd rumours that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal was covertly working with the ruling party on a power-sharing formula.

With reference to the opposition’s stand that the Legal Framework Order will remain a sword hanging on the parliament’s sovereignty and government’s independence, the PML leader said: “The common man is was not concerned about the LFO, some of those who are protesting against it don’t even know what it means.”

He said, so far as the Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-i-Azam) was concerned it came to power after accepting the LFO, but if the opposition was interested in reopening it, it should bring it to the parliament on private members day.

Responding to a question whether the combined opposition was justified in seeking direct talks with the president he said: “If they can talk to the president on the matter they are welcome to do so.”

To another question Chaudhry Shujaat said his party was not against Benazir Bhutto returning to the country, but Nawaz Sharif’s case was different. He left the country under a deal between the governments of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

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