Budget session: NA speaker holds meeting with parliamentary leaders

ISLAMABAD: The Speaker National Assembly (NA) Asad Qaiser has held a meeting with the parliamentary leaders over the upcoming budget session, ARY News reported on Monday.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Babar Awan, Pervez Khattak and Khalid Magsi have represent the government’s side in the meeting. The opposition side was represented by Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Naveed Qamar, Maulana Asad Ali Muhammad Khan, Rana Sanaullah, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s (PML-N) leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Khawaja Asif. The meeting was also attended by NA deputy speaker Qasim Khan Suri.

Asad Qaiser said that 14 NA lawmakers tested positive for coronavirus so far while he and his family members were also infected with the the virus. He urged to formulate a strategy to hold the upcoming session with precautions.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the coming days could be difficult as the infections were consistently increasing across the country.

Naveed Qamar suggested that only 50 lawmakers should be present when the budget is presented in the House.

The participants of the meeting held consultations for the upcoming session of budget with precautionary measures against COVID-19.

Later, the dialogues between the federal government and opposition parties became successful as the opposition leader agreed the demand to hold debate on five points in the Parliament.

It is agreed to hold debate on sugar and wheat crisis, coronavirus, locust attacks and other important issues, whereas, question hour and attention notices are suspended in the upcoming NA session.

A motion was also presented in the National Assembly by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan.