ISLAMABAD: Three opposition parties agreed on Tuesday to have a joint strategy on national issues during the ongoing session of the National Assembly.
A meeting of parliamentary groups of the PPP, ANP and PML-Q, presided over by Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, reviewed the political situation in the country.
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Jamaat-i-Islami stayed away from the meeting.
Sources told Dawn that the meeting deplored the attitude of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan during the assembly session on Monday and termed it uncalled for. The assembly witnessed uproar when the minister passed some remarks against the PPP leadership after the speech of the opposition leader.
The meeting expressed concern over reports that the government was planning to send troops to Syria on a request by Saudi Arabia and some other Arab countries. The opposition parties vowed to lodge a strong protest if the government took any such decision.
The sources said the meeting termed the government’s explanation about $1.5 billion Saudi aid unsatisfactory. They were of the view that the prime minister should take the parliament into confidence over the issue.
Mr Shah expressed concern over reports that the government was planning to send some retired soldiers to Syria to help rebels.
He said that any such move would be a blunder as Pakistan had already suffered a lot due to interference in the affairs of other countries.
The opposition members criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for ignoring the Senate and agreed to make a demand to the government to hold a joint session of parliament if the prime minister was not willing to appear in the upper house.