President calls party meeting to formulate NRO strategy

By:Agha Tanveer Iqbal

President Asif Ali Zardari, also the co-chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), has called a meeting of party MNAs on November 2 (Monday) to take their input on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), Daily Times learnt on Saturday.

“President Zardari will have candid consultations with party MNAs on the NRO, with a special focus on allied parties confusing stand. The meeting is also expected to devise a strategy to get the NRO passed by the National Assembly in its upcoming session starting Monday,” sources in the PPP said. They said the party leadership had also directed parliamentarians to remain present in the capital during the National Assembly session to ensure their availability at the time of voting on NRO.

The sources said since allied parties, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the Awami National Party and the Jamiat Ullema-e-Islam-Fazl had not yet announced a clear stance on the NRO, and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the PML-Quaid were openly opposing the law, the PPP was still unsure of the numbers needed to get the legislation approved by the National Assembly. The PPP has already had the NRO approved by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law through a majority vote, but sources said MQM’s abstinence from voting in the committee had alarmed the PPP.

Meanwhile, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan said the Supreme Court of Pakistan could not reject the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) if parliament approved it. Talking to a private TV channel, he said the SC could only review legislation, and could not reject the ordinance.

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Agha Tanveer Iqbal
Secretary Information
PPP Greater London
+44-07931445834