Govt contacts PPP for support on 'key legislation'

ISLAMABAD: Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Awan met President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday as the federal government sought the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) support for key legislation, sources said.

According to sources, backchannel contacts have been established between the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the PPP regarding the proposed legislation.

Sources said the Attorney General met President Zardari at the Presidency on Tuesday night, where a consultative meeting on the proposed legislation was held.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Faryal Talpur and Senator Farooq H. Naek also attended the meeting, according to sources.

The Attorney General briefed the president and other participants on the proposed legislation and requested the PPP’s support for its passage during the current session of the National Assembly.

Sources said the PPP sought time to consider the government’s request and is expected to convey its response today.

Meanwhile, as many as seven bills were introduced in the National Assembly on Wednesday and referred to the relevant committees for further consideration and deliberation.

The bills included the Hyderabad Institute for Technology and Management Sciences (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Seed (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

Other bills were the Natural Gas (Development Surcharge) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the National University of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Dock Workers (Regulation of Employment) (Repeal) Bill, 2026. Five reports of various standing committees were also presented before the House.

Meeting with PTI Chairman

Meanwhile, two days earlier, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan visited the Islamabad residence of PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan.

The Attorney General offered Fateha for the departed soul of Gohar Khan’s mother and expressed his condolences to the PTI chairman and his family over the bereavement.