ISLAMABAD: The Opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement on Friday announced a boycott of the joint parliamentary session due next week.
The announcement followed a meeting of the PDM’s steering committee, attended by PML-N’s Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Marriyum Aurangzeb, JUI-F’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Owais Noorani, Akram Khan Durrani, Hafiz Hamdullah, Qaumi Watan Party chief Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
Hafiz Hamdullah spoke to the media following the meeting to announce the decision.
“PDM stands with media organisations and will continue to stand by them,” he said, adding that the government’s proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) has been rejected by the PDM, and that it is in actuality a media “control” authority.
He said that what had occurred earlier in the day during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs was “non-parliamentary” and “non democratic”.
“Babar Awan and Azam Swati has insulted the Election Commission and the Parliament,” Hamdullah said.
The JUI-F leader said that the PDM has decided first off to issue a white paper against the government.
“The white paper will expose the government’s dark deeds and failures,” he said.
The meeting decided that on September 26, a “big” PDM convention will be held in Islamabad, he said, adding that lawyers, journalists and labourers will be invited to attend.
“PDM will gather everyone’s point of view in the convention,” Hamdullah said.
