Bilawal urges opposition to return to parliamentary committees
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday asked the opposition to rejoin National Assembly committees, especially on electoral reforms. He also sought a parliamentary briefing from four ministers on security and economic issues.
- Bilawal asked NA opposition leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai to direct opposition members to attend key committees.
- He asked for nominations to the Electoral Reforms Committee to be sent to the speaker's office.
- He called for a briefing to Parliament by the finance, foreign, defence and interior ministers.
- A PPP delegation met Achakzai, who welcomed the message, according to Raja Pervez Ashraf.
Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday urged the opposition to resume participation in parliamentary committees. He asked National Assembly Leader of the Opposition Mahmood Khan Achakzai to use the authority granted to him by Imran Khan to bring opposition lawmakers back, particularly into the committee on electoral reforms.
Bilawal said: "If you want concerns about rigging in future elections to be addressed, you must participate in the electoral reforms committee." He said Achakzai should nominate members and submit their names to the National Assembly speaker's office. According to the Express Tribune, he said the Assembly had passed a resolution on the committee at its preceding meeting, before the opposition was told to withdraw from committees.
PTI lawmakers quit the chairmanship of several NA standing committees in August of the previous year, following party leadership directives, the Express Tribune reported. It also reported that communication between the government and the opposition has nearly broken down after earlier negotiations failed, which it said led to governor's rule and an emergency in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Bilawal said the government and treasury benches must make parliament functional and the opposition must also play its part. Geo News reported that he blamed the opposition's role for parliament's weakening and warned that those who wanted a weak parliament had achieved their objective. He also said: "Parliament is powerful, and if parliament is powerful, we are all powerful." He said the government was willing to engage with the opposition.
Bilawal also asked for a comprehensive briefing to Parliament by the finance, foreign, defence and interior ministers. According to the Express Tribune, topics should include the war in Iran, disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, and Pakistan's recent defence agreements. He said parliamentarians have a right to be informed about threats including domestic terrorism, the government's response and future security challenges.
Geo News reported that a high-level PPP delegation including Syed Naveed Qamar and Raja Pervez Ashraf met Achakzai and conveyed Bilawal's message. The meeting took place at the office of Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri, with PTI senators present.
Ashraf said Achakzai welcomed the message and urged PTI to play its full role in parliament. Achakzai called for parliament to be made the source of power and for the government to strengthen it. He recalled his demand for a committee to examine alleged government corruption. He said: "Neither are you so good, nor are we so bad. Let us sit together."
Earlier, on October 23, the opposition said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif should personally invite it to talks if the government was serious about negotiations. On October 22, Achakzai and PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan criticised the government over stalled negotiations and restrictions on parliamentarians.
Why it matters
Parliamentary committees, including the one on electoral reforms, are where legislation and election rules are worked out, so whether the opposition takes part affects how they function for voters in Pakistan.
