ISLAMABAD, Nov 10: Opposition parties are likely to turn down Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s proposal to form a parliamentary committee to assist the government in the ongoing relief and reconstruction process in the earthquake-affected areas.

Though opposition leaders belonging to the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP), the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) did not reject the proposal outright, they showed their reservations by terming it a “late move”.

On Wednesday, the prime minister had announced that he would convene a meeting of the parliamentary leaders next week to share with them earthquake data and plans for rehabilitation and reconstruction. Mr Aziz had stated that a committee would be formed to serve as a permanent forum to assist the government in the reconstruction process.

“Most probably, we will not accept any such proposal,” said PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq when asked to comment on the government’s move. Recalling a recent decision of the heads of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy on the futility of attending an all parties conference or meeting with the government, he said that a whole month had passed since the calamity had struck.

The PML-N chairman said it would be “useless” to accept the parliamentary committee’s proposal because key decisions had already been taken unilaterally. “What will be the use of a committee when you (the government) have already invited Nato forces, you have already formed the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA) and now you have opened the Line of Control (LoC) without taking parliament into consideration.”

Moreover, he said, the government had already announced that decisions of the ERRA chairman could not be challenged and no action could be taken against him. In these circumstances, he said, the opposition would not become a part of the government’s failed policies.

ARD chief and PPP President Makhdoom Amin Fahim said it seemed the government wanted to invite opposition parties for a briefing on actions carried out by it single-handedly.

Mr Fahim subscribed to the view that there wasn’t much use of convening an APC or parliamentary committee meeting as decisions would be taken by an individual.

Meanwhile, MMA chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed told reporters said that any decision about participating in the proposed parliamentary committee meeting would be taken after the matter was discussed with other opposition parties within the religious alliance and outside it.