ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz president Shahbaz Sharif has written a letter to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, suggesting him to issue an agenda for the first five days of the assembly session prior to the presentation of the federal budget on June 12.

The letter, a copy of which is available with Dawn, shows that Opposition Leader in the National Assembly has suggested to the speaker to allow the members to have a thorough debate on key national issues, including the May 22 crash of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft near Karachi airport and the situation arising due to spread of Covid-19 pandemic and locust attack in various parts of the country.

Mr Sharif has also proposed a debate in the assembly on the “report of the commission to probe into the increase in sugar prices”. He has also asked the speaker to hold a debate on “the issue of privatisation of airports and PIA hotels”.

The Pakistan Peoples Party has already submitted an adjournment motion to the National Assembly Secretariat seeking a debate on the PIA plane crash.

“The National Assembly session has been summoned for June 5 and the government is expected to introduce the 2020-21 budget on June 12. This provides us with five full working days to take up issues of national importance,” writes Mr Sharif in his letter.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2020