ISLAMABAD: Members of opposition parties on Friday staged a walkout from the National Assembly in protest against the government’s decision of delaying introduction in the house of a bill for reforms in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

However, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq offered to mediate between the government and the opposition to resolve the issue.

It was the fifth consecutive day when the opposition parties staged a walkout from the assembly in protest against what they described as “intentional delay” by the government to meet the demand of the majority of the people in Fata.

Earlier, when the session began, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Naveed Qamar said the opposition had been stressing tabling of the Fata bill for the last five days but the government had failed to do so.

He said Fata was not a problem of the government but an issue of the people of Pakistan. The government seemed to be in a fix and helpless to decide the matter. “It is better for the government to resign with immediate effect,” he added.

Awami Muslim League president Sheikh Rashid said a minister had invited him to a breakfast meeting with the prime minister but it did not happen. “Some of the leaders went to the Prime Minister House in the morning but they returned without a meeting,” he said.

He said the militant Islamic State group was surrounding the country and the present government was not in a position to even provide funds for the National Action Plan (NAP) launched to curb terrorism.

Referring to a statement of the speaker that present assemblies might not complete their term, Mr Rashid said it was good that the speaker had started telling the truth. “I salute you for this,” he added.

On this, the speaker said if somebody had not had their breakfast, it could be provided in his chamber. Mr Sadiq said he believed that he would have to bring both the government and the opposition again to the negotiating table to resolve the issue of Fata reforms.

Sheikh Salahuddin of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) hailed the speaker for giving an eye-opening statement that the government might not complete its five-year term.

Sher Akbar of the Jamaat-i-Islami said it was necessary to table the Fata reforms bill in the house to bring people of the tribal areas into the mainstream.

After this the members from opposition benches left the house.

Before another PPP leader Shagufta Jumani pointed out the quorum, the speaker took a stern notice again for not replying to the questions of legislators by the Ministry of Capital Administration & Development Division (CADD).

He told CADD Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry that five questions related to his ministry had not been answered and for that he had to remove the CADD secretary. “I will write to the prime minister for the removal of the secretary and I will not hold my office if the secretary is not removed,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2017