Opposition offers conditional support to 20th Amendment

Major opposition party in National Assembly on Thursday offered conditional support to proposed 20th amendment in the constitution.Leader of the Opposition, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan proposed to the government certain measures for securing support of the opposition.“You might have the number. You could have passed the amendment. But, in this form we shall not support the amendment,” Nisar said in the House on a point of order.He however offered support provided that the government also incorporates provisions in the amendment measures aimed at mitigating masses sufferings, appointment of an impartial person as next Chief Election Commissioner and ensure independence of the Election Commission and evolve a permanent mechanism for induction of the caretaker set up to hold upcoming general elections.“Independent CEC and the Commission is demand of the whole nation and we will support the government efforts to fulfil this demand of the people,” he added. “We do not want that any member of the House is disqualified. But, we also demand a transparent and across the board accountability system in the country.”Nisar claimed that petroleum prices in Pakistan were not at par with prices in international market and said, he would prove it.The Opposition Leader urged the government to take steps for controlling price hike to mitigate masses suffering.Another PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafiq elaborated the demands of his party to support the amendment, including constitutional protection to CEC and Election Commission, enacting accountability law, reviewing petroleum prices and recovering the missing persons.He urged the government to protect life and property of people.