ISLAMABAD - A meeting of leaders and representatives of the parliamentary parties was held in Islamabad on Wednesday with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair.
During the meeting, the prime minister took the parliamentary leaders into confidence regarding Pakistan-Afghanistan situation and recent tensions in the region, especially in the Middle East and the Gulf region.
A detailed briefing was also given to the parliamentary leaders in the meeting, highlighting Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts during the recent tensions. The parliamentary leaders of the political parties expressed their views openly. The participants emphasized the need for national unity, consensus and solidarity in the current situation.
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The participants appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for peace in the region. They also emphasized the need to further accelerate these diplomatic efforts and also presented suggestions on the future course of action.
All the participants reiterated their strong commitment to eradicate terrorism from the country. The participants appreciated and thanked the Prime Minister for taking all political leadership into confidence in the larger interest of Pakistan.
Chairman Senate Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani, Deputy Chairman Senate Syedal Khan, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Attaullah Tarar, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Abdul Aleem Khan of Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, Khalid Hussain Magsi of Balochistan Awami Party, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Syed Mustafa Kamal, and Faisal Sabzwari of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Chaudhry Salik Hussain of PML-Q, Rana Mubashir Iqbal, Advisor to the Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, Special Assistant Talha Burki, Senator Sherry Rehman of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Anwarul Haq Kakar and Manzoor Ahmed Kakar of Balochistan Awami Party, Pervaiz Rashid of Pakistan Muslim League-N, Hafiz Abdul Karim, Jan Muhammad, Member National Assembly Syed Naveed Qamar of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians, Dr Farooq Sattar and Amin ul Haq of Muttahida Qaumi Movement, and Pullain Baloch of National Party attended the meeting.
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Meanwhile, The opposition alliance Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) on Wednesday boycotted the in-camera briefing on security in the wake of Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict and escalation between Iran and the US-Israel alliance, calling on the government to discuss the national security in Parliament.
The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had invited the leadership of the alliance including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
A day earlier, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar told both the houses of Parliament that the PM had invited leaders and representatives of parliamentary parties for a meeting to develop “a course of action” on the emerging situation that has undermined the security of the region and the Middle East.
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The PTI-backed opposition leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate, Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, stayed away from the huddle besides the other leadership of the alliance.
On Tuesday night, the Political Committee of the PTI had decided not to attend the briefing unless a meeting with its incarcerated founder Imran Khan was arranged. It also called on the government to ensure all constitutional rights of the PTI chief and former prime minister in compliance with court orders.
Talking to reporters at the Parliament House, the TTAP chief and opposition leader in the NA Achakzai said the government should give a briefing to Parliament instead of inviting selected representatives at the PM House.
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“This becomes an insult to Parliament if you invite some selected people (for the briefing),” he said, adding that he had put this suggestion in a meeting with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan. He noted that the present crisis, which had emerged in the region, couldn’t be handled by a single political party and demanded that “we should think about a national government.”
PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, in his media interaction, said the government had disallowed meetings of Imran Khan with his family, lawyers, personal physicians and party leadership, and even misled them about his health. In the given circumstances, “we cannot sit with you for a photo session,” he added.
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He underlined that the health of the ex-premier was a national issue and was a concern for every Pakistani. He said that the government should not evade the situation and give a briefing on security either to a joint sitting of Parliament, or separately to the NA and the Senate. “The national security is important for all of us,” he said, adding that the ruling alliance should give the opposition some space and not suppress it.