Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly all set to pass resolution in favour of PM today

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly will pass a resolution in support of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani in the government-convened session today following his conviction by the Supreme Court in a contempt of court case. The ruling alliance of Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have finalised all arrangements to ensure passage of the resolution. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which has announced phase-wise protest movement against the convicted prime minister and in support of the Supreme Court, would resist and oppose the government move. PML-N MPA Shazia Aurangzeb said though some of their members were busy in making arrangements for their scheduled protest meeting at Swabi, the party legislators would resist the government resolution in the assembly. She said her party considered the convicted premier had no right to remain in power. She said the Prime Minister’s elder sons were accused of corruption. She said the prime minister was protecting the loot and plunder of President Asif Ali Zardari for the last four years. The prime minister, she maintained, had proved that he had no respect for the Supreme Court but was loyal to the president. Shazia Aurangzeb said the PML-N leaders would educate the people by organising protest meetings and processions on the roads and oppose the government’s resolutions in the assembly. She observed that the opposition legislators from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) may remain neutral like they did in the National Assembly. PML-Quaid (PML-Q) deputy parliamentary leader Nighat Orakzai said her party would support the resolution. She said the government could not be changed through long and short marches and suggested to the PML-N chief to wait for his turn for coming into power. She said both the PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chiefs should sit together before launching protest movement against the government. “If the opposition parties did not wait for their turn, other forces could take benefit of the situation,” she cautioned. Sikandar Sherpao, parliamentary leader of the Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao (PPP-S), expressed ignorance about any such resolution, saying no one had contacted his party. He said the opposition should have contacted his party if it had any plan against the government-sponsored resolution in favour of the prime minister. However, he said his party would take decision on supporting or opposing the resolution after reading its wording. The ruling alliance may also pass the resolution for holding the upcoming local government elections. The assembly session will be held at 4pm instead of the morning to avoid traffic congestion. Strict security arrangements have been made in and around the assembly hall for the session.