ISLAMABAD, March 15: The combined opposition in the Senate on Wednesday agreed to return to the house after a reconciliation meeting with government senators. Both the sides agreed that continued boycott of house proceedings by the opposition would not serve the cause of democracy.
The opposition had on March 12 walked out of the house to protest against Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro’s attitude which they said had changed after his re-election to the chair.
Treasury members Nisar A. Memon and S.M. Zafar met prominent opposition senators and asked them to attend the house business advisory committee in the chairman’s chamber.
Leader of Opposition in the Senate Raza Rabbani, Sardar Mehtab Ahmed, Asfandyar Wali Khan and Liaquat Bangulzai attended the meeting from the opposition side while the treasury was represented among others by Kamil Ali Agha, S.M. Zafar, Nisar A. Memon, Naeem Chattha and Muhammad Ali Durrani.
Hawks on the opposition side wanted to put maximum pressure on the government by continuing the boycott of proceedings. Likewise, a group on the treasury benches urged Mr Soomro to take action against Dr Safdar Abbasi of the People’s Party Parliamentarians for using harsh language against the chair.
Both sides discussed the issue and concluded that a prolonged boycott would not serve the cause of democracy, but affect the prestige of parliament. They decided to resume house proceedings without any precondition.
Thus the upper house, which was scheduled to meet at 4pm, finally started its proceedings after 7am.
The combined opposition comprised the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. The DA comprises the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy and nationalist parties.
The MMA and DA held separate meetings before getting together for the house business advisory committee’s meeting at 3pm. It was decided that the opposition should reconcile with the treasury provided it was contacted by them.
Mr Rabbani told reporters after the meeting that the issue had been amicably resolved.
He said parliamentary leaders from both the sides had observed that the federation and federalism were under threat, hence they could ill-afford to continue acrimony. He said it had been agreed that all issues should be debated on the floor of the house.
Mr Zafar said everyone agreed to run parliament in order to uphold the cause of democracy.
