ISLAMABAD: A session of parliamentary committee aimed at reaching consensus on new terms of engagement with the United States ended in futility again, on Monday, after major political parties remained uninvolved.
Members of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat ul Ulema Islam (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) remained absent from the meeting, DawnNews reported.
The Parliamentary Committee on National Security’s (PCNS) session was presided over by Senator Raza Rabbani at the Parliament House in Islamabad.
Rabbani said that the members of the PML-N and PML-Q were unable to attend the meeting due to their participation in the national energy conference.
However, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman refused to attend the session and Rabbani requested him to end the boycott of the parliamentary committee sessions.
Rabbani said that if JUI-F has any reservations, it should present an opposing note in the meeting.
JUI-F party meeting
In a party meeting at Fazlur Rehman’s residence, the JUI-F decided to continue boycotting all the committees of parliament including PCNS.
The party also decided to boycott the parliament’s session over the domestic violence bill.
Addressing the party meeting, Fazl said that bill on domestic violence is a “conspiracy to promote western culture in the country” and JUI-F would strongly oppose that bill.
He further warned to lodge a country-wide protest if the government tried to make domestic violence bill into a law.
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