ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday reiterated that his government would not offer any underhand deal like infamous NRO to opposition parties in return for getting the crucial bills passed from the parliament to get Pakistan’s name off the grey list of FATF.
Addressing a meeting of parliamentary party of ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its allied parties here, the PM said that opposition was using the forum of parliament to save its politics as well as corruption and was trying to obstruct any public interest legislation.
He said that the opposition has been demanding an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) like deal which will not be given at any cost.
He said that the opposition wanted to get relief in corruption cases that had been framed against them during the previous governments. We did not frame any corruption cases against the two opposition parties, the PML-N and the PPP, he said.
“PTI will not step back from its manifesto and if it does so, it will be a disaster,” the PM was quoted as saying in the parliamentary party meeting that was primarily summoned to ensure presence of maximum lawmakers in the joint sitting of the parliament.
However, the government at the eleventh hour postponed its decision to summon a joint sitting for Thursday to clear pending legislation and delayed it for another week.
The PM said that they would not be blackmailed by the opposition and had the opposition not supported the government on FATF-related bills, they would have got these passed from the joint sitting of the parliament.
The PM further said that the opposition would get itself exposed if wouldn’t support the public interest legislation.
He asked the lawmakers to play their role for making legislation in the parliament and to help the people to address their problems in their respective constituencies.
He referred to the lawmakers of PTI from port city Karachi and said that they should be become active like them.
The PM withdrew the attention of lawmakers about the two bills that will fulfil the requirement of FATF to get its name off the grey list and said that the legislation was crucial for Pakistan. He said that PTI government was correcting the mistakes of the past and ensured the lawmakers that better system of governance and rule of law would prevail in the country in future.
He asked the participants to give tough time to the opposition in and outside the parliament as it was in the habit of making irresponsible statements.
The lawmakers belonging to the National Assembly and Senate besides federal ministers and advisors to the PM attended the parliamentary party meeting.
The critical remarks of PML-N leader Khawaja Muhammad Asif given in the National Assembly against Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi were also discussed in the meeting and it was decided that the government would give a tough time to the opposition. It was decided that the opposition should not be dealt with any leniency if they resort to making irresponsible statements in the parliament.
