ISLAMABAD, Jan 4: The government has contacted the People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) afresh to seek its cooperation in running the forthcoming sessions of the Senate and National Assembly smoothly and in return offered the slot of opposition leader in the Senate to it, sources told Dawn here on Tuesday.

The party sources said Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro had invited PPP parliamentary leader in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani in his chamber to discuss the ways to run the session smoothly. The ruling party secretary-general Senator Mushahid Hussain and ARD parliamentary secretary Izhar Amrohvi were also present at the meeting, the sources said.

The sources added that Mr Rabbani had also held a brief chat with PML president and former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in the Parliament House after his meeting with Mr Soomro. They said Chaudhry Shujaat had assured Mr Rabbani that the government would soon make a decision regarding appointment of the opposition leader in the Senate.

Earlier, Mr Rabbani had complained to the Senate chairman that the opposition members were being ignored in the meetings of the standing committees. Mr Rabbani, the sources said, had particularly mentioned the December 29 meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures.

Mr Rabbani had informed the chairman that only three treasury members - Kamil Ali Agha, Naeem Chattha and Razzaq Thaheem - were present at the meeting in which the committee took some important decisions regarding changes in the rules and procedures for conduct of business in the Senate.

They said the chairman had assured Mr Rabbani that when the matter would be presented on the floor of the upper house, he would refer it back to the committee for reconsideration. The Senate chairman, the sources said, had agreed to the point of view of Mr Rabbani that opposition should be taken into confidence before making any decisions.

The sources said, the chairman had also requested the PPP senator to avoid "personal attacks" on members which would greatly help him run the house smoothly. However, the PPP senator had told Mr Soomro that it was the responsibility of both the treasury as well as the opposition members.

Meanwhile, when contacted, Mr Rabbani confirmed to Dawn that he had held a meeting with the Senate chairman but denied that the issue of appointment of opposition leader had come up for discussion. He said no assurance whatsoever was given by the chairman in this regard as this matter was not discussed at all.

Replying to a question regarding his meeting with PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the PPP senator said it was just an exchange of pleasantries and no political issue was discussed.

When asked that why the meeting was kept secret, Mr Rabbani said he thought that it was a normal and routine meeting and had no significance for the press as only the working of standing committees was discussed in it. Mr Rabbani also claimed that the meeting was held on his own request.