Pakistan: Opposition vows to issue ‘working paper’ on govt performance

After failed talks with the government, Opposition in the Senate continued the protest session outside the Parliament House for the second consecutive day today (Thursday) against what they called “wrong facts and figures” on causalities in missile strikes, SAMAA reported. The Opposition claims that government provided wrong data to the upper house last week about deaths in missile strikes and terrorism-related incidents. Lawmakers from Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Balochistan National Party (BNP) Pakistan Muslim League-Q (Quaid-e-Azam) and other opposition parties attended the protest session on the road and delivered fiery speeches against Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan. Senator Ahmed Hasan chaired the meeting. PPP’s Raza Rabbani blamed the federal government for its ‘double standards’ over various important security matters, including peace talks with Taliban, and demanded that the facts be made public. Rabbani vowed to issue a ‘working paper’ on what he called government’s failure. ANP’s Shahi Syed said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif could not find competent team members to run the affairs of Defence and Foreign ministries; therefore he has kept both the portfolios by himself. Senator Saifullah Magsi said “there is no government writ in 19 districts of Balochistan”, adding that people in earthquake-hit Awaran district have refused to accept the government aid. The protest session was adjourned till Friday morning.