ISLAMABAD - The matter of legislative business, including PIA privatisation and other five controversial bills, is likely to be once again dominated by departure of former President Pervez Musharraf in upcoming joint sitting of parliament scheduled on April 11.
The opposition parties are set to give tough time to Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar for allegedly making ‘misrepresentation statement’ on behalf of government about departure of Pervez Musharraf in joint sitting.
The united opposition will once again debate departure of former military dictator Pervez Musharraf in the joint sitting on April 11 like the discussion over controversial six bills, including PIA privatisation was overshadowed by the issue in the last joint sitting.
“PPP will raise Interior Minister’s ‘misrepresentation statement’ about Musharraf in shape of privilege motion in the upcoming joint sitting,” said PPP’s senior lawmaker Nafeesa Shah, talking to TheNation.
“This motion is signed by Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and Leader of Opposition in Senate Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan along with 40 other members of opposition parties of both Houses of Parliament,” said Nafeesa Shah.
According to the privilege motion: “The undersigned members of the Senate and National Assembly seek leave to move a motion under Rule 95 of the National Assembly (Rules Procedure and Conduct of Business) Rules 2007 against Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan MNA and Minister of Interior for misrepresentation on the floor of the august Joint Sitting of both the Houses on 21st March, 2016 whereby he represented that one General Pervez Musahrraf (Retd) had been allowed by the Supreme Court to leave the country and that it was not a decision exclusively vested in government of Pakistan.” “This order will not preclude the Federation of Pakistan or the Special Court, seized of the proceedings under Article -6 of the Constitution against Respondent General (Retd) Pervez Musharraf, from passing any legal order for regarding his custody or restricting his movement,” says the motion.
Chaudhary Nisar was also supposed to brief the house about the departure of President Pervez Musharraf in regular National Assembly session but he did not attend last two sittings of 30th NA session. Opposition members had also not raised this matter in the National Assembly sessions due to known reasons.
Political pundits and parliamentary legal wizards viewed that the privilege motion against Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar will grab the attention of media. There will be only discussion on the matter but no big decision is expected.
The issue will also die down on the same day, they viewed. To a question about not taking this matter in the National Assembly, they said opposition only wants to linger on the matter of Musharraf’s departure but it will not be discussed much.