Opposition demands to debate on all recently promulgated bills in parliament: sources

ISLAMABAD: The opposition has demanded from the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) government to hold debate on all the bills, including the National Accountability Ordinance, which had been recently promulgated by President Arif Alvi in the joint session of parliament.

“The 20 bills passed by the National Assembly in a rushed manner should also be brought back to the House,” Bol News quoted sources of the opposition as saying, in response to National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser’s letter to Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif seeking approval of opposition members in legislation about electoral reforms and other crucial matters.

The letter apprised that the electoral reforms bill had been passed from the National Assembly, however it had to sail through the Senate as well for which the government required the opposition’s cooperation.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had lately convened a joint parliamentary session, nevertheless it was postponed ostensibly after reservations of allies of the government over the proposed election reforms.

Sources said the NA speaker’s letter would be discussed in the opposition’s steering committee meeting on November 14.

Former NA speaker and veteran Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq said they would cooperate with the government, if stance of the opposition was heard and they were taken into confidence.

The opposition also demanded that the joint session of parliament should be summoned after consensus on the controversial bills.