PM Khan decides to attend parliamentary sessions, answer questions

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to attend the parliamentary sessions regularly from the upcoming week, and party leadership has been informed of this decision.

Opposition members, earlier in the day during the national assembly session, had criticised Prime Minister Khan for his absence from the assembly. The matter was also raised in the national assembly session on January 14.

Sources privy to the matter informed ARY News that the prime minister had been waiting for the formation of standing committees before registering his presence in the national assembly sessions.

On Thursday, the government and the opposition parties came into an agreement over a formula for the standing committees in the parliament.

According to well-informed sources, the matter of formation of the committees will be moved in the National Assembly next week, whereas the chairpersons of various committees will be elected after the motion passed by the lower house.

Around 47 parliamentary and standing committees will be established in the parliament, sources said.

Among 40 lower house standing committees, chairpersons of 21 will belong to the government and 19 will be from the opposition parties, as per the agreed formula.

It has been learnt that Prime Minister Imran Khan will be present in the parliament next Wednesday on January 23, when the government will present a supplementary budget.

The Finance Minister Asad Umar will present the supplementary budget, and sources say the prime minister will be present during his speech.

Apart from that, sources informed, the prime minister has also decided to be present in parliament every Wednesday to answer questions asked during the national assembly’s question-hour.