Parliamentary sessions to remain incomplete until issues resolved: PPP’s Sherry Rehman

• Coalition partners meet at speaker’s chamber in parliament.
• PPP stresses respect within the governing alliance.
• Opposition has right to bring no-confidence motions: speaker.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman has said parliamentary sessions will remain incomplete until the party’s outstanding issues with the PML-N-led government are resolved.

Rehman made the remarks while speaking to the media alongside PPP leaders after a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in his chamber on Tuesday. Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab and PPP leader Farooq H Naik also spoke to the media after the huddle.

Earlier, PPP and PML-N delegations had reached the speaker’s chamber to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country.

The PML-N delegation comprised PML-N Senator Rana Sanaullah and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, while the PPP delegation included Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Sherry Rehman, Murtaza Wahab, Farooq H Naik and Sindh Interior Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar.

Speaking to journalists, Rehman said regular meetings were held in the speaker’s chamber regarding parliamentary sessions, adding that the current session was nearing its conclusion and the issues between the coalition partners needed to be discussed.

“We have differences among ourselves, which is a clear fact,” she said, adding that matters of disagreement were also discussed during the meeting.

Rehman said the PPP had not come merely to complete the quorum. “We have had differences and want the issues to be resolved.”

She further stated that if the two parties were in a coalition, the coalition also had to be respected. “Until the issues are resolved, the sessions will remain incomplete,” Rehman said.

Her remarks came days after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the party would withhold its support for the PML-N-led government until its concerns, including over the upcoming Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, were addressed.

“My party has decided that PPP’s cooperation, coordination and legislation with the PML-N on general issues cannot continue until our legitimate concerns are addressed,” he had warned.

Meanwhile, Wahab — while speaking to the media today — said the two parties had been working together for a long time, adding that the meeting was held to discuss issues and find solutions.

“We always talk about issues and want the problems to be resolved,” Wahab said, describing the meeting as a routine interaction between the coalition partners.

Farooq H Naik said the meeting had taken place in a good and pleasant atmosphere, adding that “everything is fine”.

‘No-confidence motion’

Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said the government had repeatedly invited Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for talks but had now become tired of extending such invitations and would not issue further calls for negotiations.

He said the resignations submitted by PTI members from parliamentary committees had not yet been accepted.

The speaker also said bringing a no-confidence motion against the prime minister or the speaker was the opposition’s constitutional right, adding that if such a motion was brought, it would be dealt with according to the law.