Opposition mulls over Speaker's letter for cooperation in legislation

ISLAMABAD: A virtual session of the steering committee of the opposition parties on Sunday mulled over the legislation in the parliament, ARY News reported.

The committee’s session was attended by former prime ministers Yousaf Raza Gillani, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Shiza Fatima, Shazia Mari, Kamran Murtaza, Sherry Rehman and Shahida Akhtar Ali.

According to sources, the opposition session considered over a letter wrote by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to the Leader of Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, seeking the opposition’s cooperation in the legislation including the electoral reforms bill.

“The government wants to discuss the bills and ordinances, which it intends to legislate through the parliament,” sources said.

The opposition’s steering committee is expected to send its reply of the letter to the NA Speaker.

The session was of the view that the legislation should be held in accordance with the spirit of the constitution and the law. “The government wants to violate the spirit of constitution over appointment of the Chairman NAB,” the steering committee observed.

“The opposition won’t support the government on personal grounds but can hold talks over improvement of a law,” the committee members said in their stance.

The reply to the letter of the Speaker will be prepared today, the session decided.

It is to be mentioned here that the opposition parties had formed a steering committee last Wednesday to devise a joint strategy inside the parliament after the government put off the Thursday’s joint session of parliament.