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Updated 14 Dec, 2016 07:25am

Imran ends parliament boycott, will attend session on Wednesday

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday announced his decision to attend the session of parliament on Wednesday, ending his boycott of attending parliament sessions.

The PTI chairman, while talking to media persons in the federal capital, alleged that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has lied to the parliament and the people in the wake of Panama Papers leaks.

He also said the purpose of ending the boycott is to table two motions in the parliament against the parliament.

Referring to the premier, he said Nawaz has made different statements in the Supreme Court and the Parliament.

Imran was flanked by PTI leaders including Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

"I ask PML-N leaders, will they take a stand tomorrow alongside the opposition as the prime minister has lied in front of them?"

Imran said Wednesday's session of parliament will be a test for everyone, including those in the incumbent government and the opposition.

"The Supreme Court has said the institutions of the country have failed. It is a test of the parliament too, which has failed till now," said the PTI chief.

Imran Khan also alleged that certain institutions, such as NAB and the FIA, have been tampered with and are no longer capable of holding the premier accountable.

Referring to the end of his parliament boycott, he said the opposition is responsible for asking questions and raising issues against the incumbents for the betterment of the people.

"If we can not perform our role and responsibilities, what use was there for us to attend sessions in the parliament."

"The prime minister is answerable to the opposition, if he does not provide us with answers, do we go just for marking our attendance?"

Qureshi said that the time has come to see if it is a democratic Parliament or a majlis-i-shura.

Earlier in October, PTI chairman Imran Khan announced his party’s intention to boycott sessions of the parliament.

He had said that his party members would not attend any sessions of parliament until Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif resigned or presented himself for accountability as per the opposition’s proposed terms of reference (ToR) for investigation into the Panamagate scandal.

As part of the boycott, PTI had also boycotted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s address to the joint session of parliament.

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