ISLAMABAD: The opposition members in the Senate on Friday decided to move a privilege motion against Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan over his alleged misconduct and failure to apologise for and withdraw what the opposition said was "a wrong reply" he had submitted before the House in response to a question pertaining to the number of deaths in terrorism-related incidents, DawnNews reported.

Earlier on October 30, the interior minister said that courts had sentenced 13,223 people to death since 2002, but only 501 of them had been executed. He said 10,910 death penalties had been announced in Lahore, 1,301 in Peshawar, 541 in Karachi, 449 in Quetta and 22 in Gilgit-Baltistan. Of the 501 executions, 415 were carried out in Lahore, 64 in Peshawar, 15 in Quetta and seven in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The same day, the opposition had staged two walkouts when Nisar refused to withdraw his reply to a question about the number of deaths in terrorism-related incidents which it believed was based on incorrect information. The opposition demanded that Nisar should issue an apology over presenting wrong statistics.

A consultative meeting of joint opposition parties, headed by Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Aitzaz Ahsan, was held in the Senate today. During the meeting, the opposition members decided to move a privilege motion against the interior minister and the relevant draft was prepared and signed by all the members present. It was also decided that the opposition would continue its boycott of Senate sessions.

Separately, a meeting of the Senate, headed by Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq, was held at the Parliament House. During the meeting, Senators considered responses to deal with possible strategies that may be employed by the opposition. It was moreover decided that they would try to pacify angry opposition members.