Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The joint opposition on Friday, after settlement of all issues with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), made party Senator Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif a member of the parliamentary committee, which would finalise the terms of reference for the judicial commission on the Panama leaks.

Qaumi Watan Party President Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao announced withdrawal of his name from the committee voluntarily to accommodate Saif after it was decided at the meeting of the joint opposition that the number of committee members would not be increased.

On Friday, a meeting of the joint opposition was held under the chairmanship of Syed Khurshid Ahmed Shah, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly. Lawmakers Aitzaz Ahsan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Tariq Ullah and Tariq Bashir Cheema were present. An MQM delegation consisting of Sheikh Salah-ud-Din and Abdul Wasim also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, MQM members and representatives of the joint opposition nitpicked each other. The two sides however settled their issues after a long discussion and the MQM decided to join opposition’s integrated efforts on the Panama leaks.

The MQM members earlier complained that they were being ignored despite the fact that their party was the third largest party in the parliament. In response, Qureshi said that MQM’s concerns, if any, should have been discussed in the meeting of the opposition parties. Addressing the meeting, Shah said there were some misunderstandings between the opposition and the MQM that had been addressed. He praised Sherpao for withdrawing his name from the parliamentary committee and paving the way for MQM member’s inclusion in the committee.

“It’s my desire that the first meeting of the ToRs committee should be held on Monday. Saif will represent the MQM at the committee,” Shah said. He said the way the MQM parted its ways with the opposition was regretful. He said the ToRs committee should be formed as soon as possible. He said that he would talk to the National Assembly speaker and discuss if the committee could start its work from Monday.