Govt could ensure smooth NA proceedings by allowing live coverage of Opposition leader's speech

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah Tuesday said the government could ensure smooth proceedings of the National Assembly by allowing the live coverage of the opposition leader's speech on the budget.

Speaking in the National Assembly, the opposition leader said that they had come with full preparation on the first day of the session to present their view on the budget document, but they were not allowed to present their point of view, apparently referring to the demand of the live coverage of speech.

The treasury benches in fact marred the routine proceedings of the National Assembly during the budget session on trivial issue, he blamed.

He was of the view that since there was no consensus on the issue, the house should have been adjourned for some minutes to discuss and it might have led to some solution and the situation would have been different now.

He said that although it was not precedent to allow live speech of the opposition leader, but questioned what wrong would have happened, had the government allowed to do so.

"The live coverage would have elevated esteem of this House," he said adding the proceedings of the last four years would be remembered however if there was any problem it was created by the treasury benches.

Talking about the current foreign affairs, the opposition leader said that we should identify our role in the current crisis situation, short of mentioning recent severing of diplomatic relations with Qatar by six countries.

He said that if Pakistan could call an OIC summit meeting in 1974 and bring together representative of 48 Muslim countries why it couldn't do so this time. He observed that anarchy was being created among Muslim countries.