PPP chairman asks opposition leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai to encourage lawmakers to join parliamentary committees, support electoral reforms and discuss Pakistan’s security and economic challenges.
ISLAMABAD — WEB DESK: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday urged opposition parties to resume participation in parliamentary committees, warning that their absence could weaken Parliament’s role in addressing national issues.
Addressing the National Assembly, Bilawal called on Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai to use his position to encourage opposition lawmakers, particularly those from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), to participate in committee proceedings and discussions on matters of national importance.
Bilawal calls for opposition participation
Bilawal said Parliament should serve as a platform where elected representatives could collectively discuss national challenges and make decisions in the public interest.
He criticised the opposition’s boycott of parliamentary committee proceedings, arguing that lawmakers risked losing an important opportunity to represent their parties, constituencies and voters by staying away.
He urged Achakzai to encourage opposition members to return to the committees and take part in parliamentary work.
Push for electoral reforms
The PPP chairman specifically called for opposition representation on the parliamentary committee dealing with electoral reforms.
He said the opposition should nominate its representative and submit the name to the relevant office in the National Assembly.
Bilawal noted that opposition parties had repeatedly raised concerns about alleged electoral rigging. He argued that participating in the committee would provide a parliamentary forum to discuss those allegations and consider possible reforms ahead of future general elections, local government polls and by-elections.
The call comes amid continuing political differences between the government and opposition. The opposition’s response to the invitation and its final decision on committee participation remain matters for confirmation.
Seeks briefings on security and regional developments
Bilawal also called for Parliament to be briefed on Pakistan’s security, economic and diplomatic challenges.
He urged the relevant government ministers, including those responsible for foreign affairs, interior and defence, to inform lawmakers about potential threats and the steps being taken to address them.
He also called for discussion of developments linked to the conflict involving Iran, their possible implications for Pakistan, and recent defence agreements. He referred to disruptions affecting key maritime routes as another concern requiring parliamentary attention.
Bilawal’s position was that lawmakers from both sides of the House should have access to information needed to debate national issues and scrutinise the government’s response.
PPP reaches out to opposition leadership
Separately, a PPP delegation met Achakzai to invite opposition representatives to participate in the electoral reforms process.
According to reporting by Dawn, the delegation included former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and Syed Naveed Qamar, while Senate Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas was also present.
Ashraf later said Achakzai had sought time to consult before responding to the invitation. A final decision from the opposition was not confirmed in the reports reviewed.
