Gilani seeks support from opposition

Tribune

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani met with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Monday in what analysts describe as a desperate bid to shore up support and make new allies following the MQM’s announcement of its defection to the opposition benches in the Senate and the National Assembly, which has stripped the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of its already slender majority in the parliament.

Gilani telephoned Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain early Monday morning seeking his support following the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM’s) decision to sit on the opposition benches. Gilani is expected to meet the PML-Q leader later today.

The ruling PPP has 125 members in the National Assembly, 47 short of simple majority to keep the government in office. It has support from Awami National Party (ANP) with 13 lawmakers, five from the Pir Pagara-led Functional League and around 17 independent members. The PPP needs at least 12 seats to survive and the prime minister is expected to talk about the possible alliance between PPP and PML-Q in today’s meeting.

Gilani faces an imminent no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, forcing the PPP to look for new allies. The PML-Q, which is the second largest opposition group with 51 seats in the National Assembly, said it will not move the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Gilani.

Shujaat said they will listen to Gilani and then consult other party leaders before reaching a conclusion.

PML-Q, JUI-F hold meeting in Lahore

Meanwhile, PML-Q and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) held a meeting in Lahore to discuss their future course of action. Addressing a press conference after the meeting with Chaudhry Shujaat, JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Gilani saying that it was better for him to resign with all his cabinet.

MQM will not revise its decision : Altaf Hussain

Pakistan Prime Minister 'Yosuf Raza Gilani' phones to MQM founder and leader Altaf Hussain. Both Leaders are discussed regarding the Political situation after the MQM's stance. MQM decided to sit on the opposition benches. By the report of agencies, PM Gilani asked Altaf Hussain to revise his stance, but Altaf Hussain replied negatively..

Fazl greets Altaf on quitting govt

GEO


ISLAMABAD: Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman Sunday congratulated Muttahidaq Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain on the latter’s decision to sit on opposition benches, Geo News reported.

In a telephonic conversation with Altaf Hussain, he said MQM and JUI-F will fill the vacuum of opposition in the country.

Altaf Hussain rang up JUI-F Chief following MQM’s decision to move to opposition benches in the National Assembly and the Senate.

MQM to sit on opposition benches

Tribune

KARACHI: The MQM has reached a decision to sit on the opposition benches following a week of failed dialogue between MQM leaders and the PPP. The coalition has lost a further 25 seats in parliament with the loss of the MQM.

The decision was taken by the MQM’s Coordination Committee in a meeting held simultaneously in Karachi and London. Ahmed Jung, reporting for Express 24/7 confirmed that this decision was the third part of the MQM’s move to distance itself from the government.

President Asif Ali Zardari had personally led talks with the MQM in a last-ditch effort which failed to bring the Muttahida back into the fold. Interior Minister Rehman Malik – the party’s chief mediator – had earlier failed to achieve a breakthrough after Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza claimed the MQM was involved in violence in Karachi.

“The MQM would not wish to be part of the current government which has taken unpopular decisions such as the recent petrol price hike” said analyst Dr Hasan Askari. “This [price hike] was a bad decision on the government’s part and the MQM has cashed in on it.”

The MQM’s decision to distance itself from the current government follows the recent decision of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazlur Reman (JUI-F) to quit the coalition.

Opposition members now able to remove house leader

Tribune

ISLAMABAD: Opposition members in the National Assembly are now empowered to remove the leader of the house if a majority of them do not have confidence in him, according to new business rules.

Approved by the lower house in its Friday’s sitting, the set of new rules are primarily focused on bringing them in conformity with the 18th constitutional amendment passed by the parliament in April this year.

One of the amendments to the rules that govern the conduct of business of the house specifies that the country’s prime minister will be Muslim.

Though Pakistan’s constitution never allowed a non-Muslim to become either the head of the state or that of the government, this was not specifically mentioned in old house rules.

Through insertion of altogether new rules (39A and 39B), the opposition members have been allowed to write to the speaker to change the opposition leader.

All that they have to do for this, according to the rules, is to be in majority and forward a notice to the house secretariat showing that the leader has lost their support.

Such notice, says one of the conditions set in the new rules, must also propose the name of the new opposition leader.

There have been instances in Pakistan’s parliamentary history that an opposition leader once nominated by the speaker was never removed even if the members rose against him.

The one classic example is of Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the previous parliament (2002-2007).

As head of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), Maulana was nominated as the opposition leader by the then Speaker National Assembly Chaudhry Amir Hussain.

Later, when all other opposition parties entered into an Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) to outnumber the MMA, the speaker refused to remove Maulana because it was then his discretion.

The house rules has also proposed to send to the joint sitting of the two houses of the parliament, a bill that is passed by the National Assembly but rejected by the Senate.

Previously, a mediation committee of both the houses was responsible to intervene in such cases.

Another amendment has made it binding on the government to pass a resolution from both houses of the parliament for a one-time re-promulgation of an ordinance issued by the president.

JUI-F holds CWC meeting

SAMAA

ISLAMABAD: The Central Working Committee (CWC) of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) held a meeting on Wednesday to chalk out its future line of action after quitting the PPP-led ruling alliance. 

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman chaired the meeting, held in Islamabad. 

JUI-F’s Balcohistan chief Maulana Muhammad Khan Sheerani, senior minister Maulana Abdul Wasay and party’s members from Gilgit Baltisitan also attended the meeting. 

According to sources, the CWC has endorsed party's decision to sit on the opposition benches in center.

JUI-F decides to join opposition benches

16 Dec, 2010 3:02 PM
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam on Thursday decided to sit on the Opposition benches in the joint session of the Parliament convened by the President on Dec 18.
According to a private television channel , the JUI-F is likely to give a proper application to the Speaker National Assembly to get their seats allotted in Opposition benches. Former federal minister Maulana Ataur Rehman who resigned in protest against the sacking of Azam Swati, ex-minister for Science and Technology, has returned his official vehicle and staff and vacated his office as well, party sources divulged. On the other hand, the JUI-F was also considering to part ways with the government both in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan. The JUI-F ministers from GB and Balochistan met with Maulana Fazalur Rehman and deliberated upon the status quo. Maulana also asked his party’s ministers to stay ready to quit anytime soon. It merits to mention that Haji Gulbar Khan, Minister for Health, Youth Affairs and Ashr-o-Zakat besides two parliamentary secretaries at GB. Balochistan’s Deputy Speaker Syed Mutee Ullah also belonged to JUI besides three other cabinet ministers.
The Nation