PML-Q agrees to join parliament committee

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain announced on Wednesday that his party has dropped its objections to a parliamentary committee to be formed to evolve consensus on constitutional amendments and decided to join it.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan met Chaudhry Shujaat at latter’s residence to persuade him to join the committee. He told the PML-Q chief that all issues of national importance would be addressed by the committee in consultation with major political parties and groups.

The minister said that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and the Pakistan People’s Party had authorised him to meet the PML-Q leadership because the government was following a policy of reconciliation and wanted to meet the challenges confronted by the country with the support of all political forces.

PML-Q’s secretary general Mushahid Hussain Sayed, its Punjab chief Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Leader of the Opposition in Senate Wasim Sajjad attended the meeting and assured the minister that their party would support the government on all national issues.

The PML-Q decided not to join the committee after Leader of the House in Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari piloted a resolution without consulting it.