ISLAMABAD: With “important” decisions expected amid a standoff between Supreme Court and the federal government, the National Assembly’s Wednesday has kicked off with NA Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf in the chair.
Sources told The News’ Saleh Zafar that the government is set to move a motion seeking to summon “three people” to the NA’s Privileges Committee for repeated contempt of parliament.
In a meeting of the ruling allies earlier today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that a parliamentary committee would discuss the terms of talks between the ruling alliance and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) regarding holding elections across the country on the same day.
He said the door for negotiations should not be closed. “We can decide what the format of the talks will be. The parliamentary committee can create room for this.”
The meeting came a day before a hearing of the Supreme Court on petitions requesting single-day elections to the national and provincial assemblies.
In the previous hearing, the apex court had directed the government and opposition parties to reach a consensus on the date for holding elections.
‘Chaos’
In his address, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar came down hard on PTI Chairman Imran Khan and said the two assemblies were dissolved to spread “anarchy” in the country.
He said that the Election Commission of Pakistan’s request for the release of funds was sent to the finance ministry, but his ministry cannot allow the issuance of funds without the following “procedures”.
The minister added that in line with the law, the government brought the request before the cabinet and the parliament — both of whom rejected the proposal.
Dar said that the parliament accepts the 4-3 decision of the Supreme Court and noted that even the State Bank of Pakistan cannot release the funds — despite the top court’s order.
He said that in the Punjab Assembly case, Article 63-A of the Constitution was re-written and the “world is surprised over the new interpretation” of the article.
“What was the sin of the 25 members whose vote was not counted?” he asked, claiming that the decision was made to spread “chaos” in the nation.
‘Parliament’s prerogative’
In his speech on the floor of the National Assembly, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the lower house of the parliament has already passed resolutions for not providing funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan for polls.
“When the matter was taken up before the cabinet, the house had already issued its decision,” the law minister said, stressing that it is the parliament’s prerogative on the issuance of funds.
The minister added that the parliament had directed the federal government not to follow up on the Supreme Court’s “minority” decision on the elections.
“Releasing funds from the Federal Consolidated Fund is the parliament’s prerogative,” the law minister added.
The minister said a person dissolved the assemblies to satisfy his “ego”. He added that given the current circumstances, the parliament has the power to either ratify or review its earlier decisions.
