ISLAMABAD: Floating the idea of a new leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Friday accused the incumbent — Syed Khurshid Shah of PPP — of being hand in glove with the ruling PML-N.

Speaking at a press conference here, the PTI chief spoke also on other issues, including price hike.

Imran Khan said that, as expected, the PPP in its opposition role had failed. Hence, he added, “we will see if a new opposition leader can be brought in the house”.

PTI leaders are meeting on Saturday (today) to discuss options about the election of a new leader of the opposition in accordance with the parties’ numerical position in the lower house of the parliament.

Imran Khan claimed that the PPP leaders were on record having said that they would not disturb the PML-N government until the next elections. He said it clearly meant that “we have had our time in power and now it’s your turn”.

The PTI chairman said that the appointment of a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman and the apparent consensus between the PPP and the PML-N to pick an agreed-upon chairman of Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly proved that the two parties were working in unison.

“If the present trend continues who will hold accountability of former and present rulers,” he said, predicting that the NAB decision to file references against PPP leaders would just be an attempt to clear their names.

In reply to a question about the election of a new leader of the opposition under the current numerical position of parties in the house, Imran Khan said his party was working on the idea.

His party’s information secretary, Dr Shireen Mazari, agreed with a questioner that the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) could play a crucial role in bringing about a change in the house. If the MQM joined hands with the PPP, it would be difficult to bring intended change in the house, she said.

On the NA’s opposition benches, PPP leads with 44 members, followed by PTI’s 35 and MQM’s 24. There is also a group of eight independents.

Therefore, the idea of a new opposition leader can materialise only when MQM supports the candidate.

As per the assembly rules, any member sitting on opposition benches can claim seat of leader of the opposition by proving the support of the majority of votes. To make this happen, a candidate needs to submit a written application with the signatures of lawmakers to the NA speaker’s office, which after confirmation by all signatories notifies the leader of the opposition.

Asked if he himself would be a candidate for leader of the opposition, Imran Khan did not rule out the possibility, and said first it had to be determined if the numbers would allow the PTI and like-minded parties to go for the option.

PRICE HIKE: The PTI chairman criticised the government for raising electricity and gas prices and what he called imposing indirect taxes. The government’s decisions, he added, had caused an unprecedented wave of inflation and price hike. He called upon the government to review its decisions.

The PTI chief accused the PML-N government of benefiting only ‘a rich man’s club” and said his party would not accept it. He said in Punjab his party would initiate a campaign from Nov 1.

He said instead of checking electricity and gas theft, the government was penalising the middle and poor classes.

The PTI chairman presented a seven-point formula to improve revenue generation.

He asked the government to catch tax evaders, saying that putting millions of people under the tax net would immediately generate about Rs300 billion for the national exchequer.

Additionally, he added, there was about 35 per cent sales tax evasion in the country and by plugging that, Rs250 billion could be recovered.

Agriculture and real estate sectors should be brought in the tax net. Likewise, taxes on capital gains, property and stock market would help the government to widen the tax net.

“The rich have too many legal tax exemptions, while people belonging to middle and poor classes continue to be burdened by indirect taxes,” he said.

Stopping gas and electricity theft was part of the PTI’s plan to improve revenue generation.

Imran Khan called for bringing the looted money back to the country and ending money whitening schemes.