ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to move forward with talks with the opposition on electoral reforms and include opposition members in a parliamentary committee to build consensus on the proposed changes, sources told ARY News.
According to sources, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed that the opposition be included in the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms.
The chairmanship of the committee will be given to the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), while five opposition members will be included in the 20-member parliamentary committee.
Sources said the prime minister had directed that names be sought from the opposition for representation on the committee.
The speaker of the National Assembly will write to the opposition, inviting it to join the committee and requesting the names of five members to form it.
The government aims to develop a consensus on electoral reforms by involving the opposition in the parliamentary process, sources added.
Earlier, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman suggested a new Charter of Democracy, with opposition leaders giving him the green light, ARY News reported.
The Opposition Alliance meeting in parliament has concluded, with a final decision on the proposed charter to be made after further consultations.
During the meeting, a telephone call was placed to the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA), Mahmood Khan Achakzai.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will take its members of parliament into confidence regarding the new Charter of Democracy.
The opposition parties also decided to convene an All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) during the second week of November, where the opposition alliance plans to formally announce the new Charter of Democracy.
All opposition leaders agreed that to resolve the national crisis, all political parties must sit together.
