NA new session: PTI submits privilege, adjournment motion against PM Nawaz

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) submitted two motions, a privilege motion and an adjournment motion against the premier’s contradictions on Wednesday (today).

According to details, both motions having signatures of 20 PTI leaders including Imran Khan, Murad Saeed, Ameer Ullah Marwat were presented by Shireen Mazari, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Munaza Hassan and Arif Alvi.

Earlier on Tuesday PTI decided to end its boycott of National Assembly after having failed to win a verdict from the Supreme Court against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over the Panamagate issue last week,

Talking to reporters after presiding over a meeting of the party office-bearers and parliamentarians at his Banigala residence here on Tuesday, the PTI chairman announced that they had decided to end their boycott of the assembly in order to seek an explanation from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for allegedly making a false statement about his foreign properties on the floor of the house.

Accompanied by PTI vice-chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Mr Khan said that through the adjournment motion his party would seek a full-fledged debate on the matter and see how parliamentarians made the prime minister accountable for making a “false statement” in parliament.

He said the PTI would decide its next strategy after seeing the response of parliament to the two motions the party planned to move in the National Assembly.

He claimed that the prime minister had made different statements in the Supreme Court and in parliament. In parliament, he added, the prime minister had stated that he had all the required documents to prove trail of the money used for purchasing properties in London, but in the court, his lawyers failed to produce any document.

Moreover, Mr Khan said, the prime minister in his speech had claimed that Mayfair Apartments in London had been purchased from the money they had got after selling Gulf Steel in the UAE. Later the PTI proved in the court that Gulf Steel was actually suffering a loss of 2.6 million dirham, he added.

-PPP’s motion-

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) took lead among other opposition parties by submitting a privilege motion against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to grill him on contradictions in statement he made on the floor of National Assembly on properties owned by his family in London and the stance adopted by his legal counsel in the Supreme Court on the issue.

PPP would press the speaker to take up their motion in the next National Assembly  today.

-Speaker’s authority-

It would depend on speaker’s office if he brings these motions on the proceeding’s agenda during the session. Opposition parties are likely to press for it in the House Business Advisory Committee meeting due to take place on the first day of a new session before the formal start of the proceedings.

It is also up to the speaker if he opts to refer any matter to the relevant committee or he uses his discretion and disposes of such a motion on his own.

In case a matter is referred to the committee, the panel has authority to summon the person against whom a motion has been moved.

-More issues-

Law Minister Zahid Hamid would present bill for the 25th amendment whereas Finance Minister Ishaq Dar would present second bi-annual report about implementation of NFC award.