Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The renovation of an office in Parliament House has been started to provide a luxury environment for the new office holder for the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Daily Times has learnt. According to sources, the current office of the Opposition Leader, which previously comprised of two rooms, was being decorated and renovated to warmly welcome the new office holder from PPP side.

New carpets had been laid, luxury washrooms were being prepared and it has also been decided to replace the current furniture and paint the office, sources revealed. In addition, the supply of hot water has been ensured in attached washrooms of the offices. One room would be allocated for the Opposition Leader while the other was being renovated for Deputy Opposition Leader in the National Assembly.

Sources of Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) told this scribe that the party’s Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari would be likely to hold the office of the Leader of the Opposition while the party’s Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would be the Deputy Opposition Leader.

However, Syed Khursheed Shah would continue working as Chairman Public Accounts Committee.

Though the PPP had clarified “for now” that Khurshid Shah would continue as leader of the opposition, the party’s inside sources said that Central Executive Committee of PPP had convinced the party’s Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to become Leader of the Opposition after becoming Member National Assembly (MNA) to give a tough time to the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) government in the last year of its tenure.

Sources said that the move would significantly increase the opposition’s weight, particularly the PPP’s influence in Parliament and public as well. It may be mentioned here that the Leader of the Opposition Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah has also offered his position [the opposition leader] to him on the young leader’s arrival to the house.

Mr Shah said, “If Bilawal is elected as an MNA from Larkana or any other constituency, I will be the first person to offer him my position as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.” He said party chief’s presence in the assembly would have far-reaching effects on the country’s politics.