Daily Times

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Khursheed Shah, while responding to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s criticism of opposition parties for staging a walkout from the National Assembly, said the premier should know why politicians resort to boycotts.

Speaking in the Parliament House, he advised the prime minister to weigh his words before saying anything as he held an important position. “One reason of boycott is the environment created by the government.”

“Imran Khan has fortunately become the prime minister of Pakistan. We are ready to accept that he is the prime minister,” Shah said and asked Mr Khan why he was not coming to Parliament. “You don’t even respect Parliament. We at least come to Parliament.” He reminded the prime minister of his announcement to come to parliament every week to answer questions. “At least you shouldn’t say that we are asking for NRO,” he said and clarified that they had not asked the government for any NRO-style deal.

Earlier in the day, PM Khan tweeted: “In a Parliament that costs taxpayers billions yearly, yet another walkout in NA by the Opposition shows that this is the only function they intend to perform. These are pressure tactics to seek an NRO & evade accountability for corruption in NAB cases not initiated by PTI.”

Published in Daily Times, January 16^th 2019.