LAHORE: National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has urged all political forces to sit together for the sake of improving the national economy.

“All political parties must join hands for the sake of the national economy and resolving all other issues being faced by the country,” he said while talking to media at the residence of PPP Punjab chapter general secretary Syed Hassan Murtaza here on Sunday.

He said parliament was the only forum to overcome all challenges faced by the country and invited the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to put aside petty issues and understand the need for sitting together for a greater cause.

Calling for stability in national politics, Mr Ashraf said parliament was the only forum for legislation, maintaining law and order and election reforms.

Says cannot accept PTI lawmakers’ resignations ‘signed under pressure’

“Like the government, the opposition is also very important in parliamentary democracies. And if the opposition wants free and fair elections in the country, then it should take part in the legislation process for coming up with a better election law.”

He cautioned the PTI leadership that it could not move forward by ignoring the parliament, adding that all politicians in the country were seasoned and sensing the need of the time they should reach a consensus among themselves to handle different issues.

“All politicians of the country, including Asif Ali Zardari, Parvez Elahi, Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif are experienced. They have the capability to handle issues with consensus.”

He said that a backdoor channel was always available for sorting out different affairs between political rivals and paving the way for formal talks.

In reply to a question about accepting resignations of PTI lawmakers, the speaker said he had to follow the procedure for accepting resignations and added that as per law if a member resigned under pressure, his resignation could not be accepted. He said the assemblies must complete their constitutional terms as it would strengthen the governance system in the country.

He told a questioner that the incumbent government should be allowed to rule the country as long as it was enjoying the support of a majority of lawmakers.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Murtaza said PTI chief Imran Khan wanted a presidential form of government instead of a parliamentary system in the country.

He alleged that the PTI did record corruption during its four-year rule in the country as scandals of Malam Jabba, Toshakhana and Al-Qadir University surfaced during its rule.

He claimed that Mr Khan’s era was the most corrupt in the country’s history, adding that even today the Ravi Urban Development Authority was forcibly taking lands from farmers to oblige PTI financiers.

He said Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi was obliging his blue-eyed people in four districts of Gujrat division, while the road network of entire Punjab had been destroyed.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2022