Change in opposition leader not to benefit PTI

ISLAMABAD: The attempt of the two key parliamentary forces to replace Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah has severely damaged even the fragile unity and cohesion among opposition forces.

The parliamentary opposition is now a house in total disarray with little prospects of repair of the rupture in the foreseeable future. The move has given rise to new bad blood and misgivings. Khursheed Shah’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has taken on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) for spoiling the harmony in the opposition ranks and dared them to go ahead with their initiative if they have the requisite strength.

On his part, Khursheed has always taken along all the opposition parties not only in key nominations but also other parliamentary matters. Although he is not required under the Constitution to consult them in such appointments, he has been taking them on board.

The PTI and MQM are trying hard to install Shah Mehmood Qureshi as the opposition leader to qualify for an important say in the selection of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman right now and the next caretaker prime minister in mid-2018 after the present government will complete its five-year term in June.

There are a little or no chances of the success of the PTI and MQM to show the door to Khursheed Shah for not having the mandatory numerical power. The PPP and its allies have a clear edge over their rivals in the opposition ranks.

However, even if the PTI-MQM-P combine is successful in ousting the incumbent opposition leader and bringing its own representative in his place, its victory will be inconsequential in the nomination of the caretaker prime minister because it will lack the majority in the bipartisan parliamentary committee, which will decide about the interim premier.

Under Article 224A, in case the prime minister and the opposition leader in the outgoing National Assembly do not agree on any person to be appointed as the caretaker premier within three days of its dissolution, they shall forward two nominees each to a committee to be immediately constituted by the Speaker comprising eight members of the assembly or the Senate or both, having equal representation from the treasury and the opposition to be named by the
prime minister and the opposition leader respectively.

It is impossible that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and the opposition leader of the PTI-MQM-P alliance will reach a consensus on any name as the caretaker premier, and resultantly the matter will end up in the parliamentary committee for a decision.

In this forum, as per the constitutional provision the government and its allies will have half of the strength of the committee or four members while the rest will come from the opposition groups.

Being the biggest opposition party, the PPP will have a minimum of two members in this forum.

Even if, just for the sake of argument, it has one representative (which is not possible) in the committee, the joint strength of the PML-N and PPP will be enough to pick their joint choice as the caretaker prime minister and reject the preference of other opposition parties, which had displaced Khursheed Shah.

However, in case of the success of the PTI and MQM-P to have their man as the opposition leader, they will have a considerable say in the appointment of the NAB chairman only because no parliamentary party is involved in this process.

But this doesn’t mean that the prime minister will have no role and the opposition leader will have the total sway because the appointment is to be made by President Mamnoon Hussain in consultation with the premier and the opposition leader.

The parliamentary committee will come into play only if the two chief consultees do not agree on a single name for the office of the caretaker prime minister.

Under Article 224A, in such a case they shall forward two nominees each to the committee, which shall finalise the name of the interim premier within three days. But in case of inability of the committee to take a decision within this period, such nominees shall be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan for final decision within two days.

Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk

Change in opposition leader not to benefit PTI ISLAMABAD: The attempt of the two key parliamentary forces to replace Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah has severely damaged even the fragile unity and cohesion among opposition forces.

Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk

Back to Pakistanlink Home

Change in opposition leader not to benefit PTI

ISLAMABAD: The attempt of the two key parliamentary forces to replace Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah has severely damaged even the fragile unity and cohesion among opposition forces.