Imran Khan takes oath
PTI leader missed the inaugural session due to an injury
Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman took oath as member of the National Assembly here Wednesday, retaining his seat from Rawalpindi constituency and vacating the two other seats he had won in the May 11 general election.
The PTI leader, who was injured on May 7 in Lahore when he fell off a forklift at an election campaign rally, missed the inaugural session of the National Assembly on June 5.
The Election Commission will hold by-elections on NA-1 Peshawar and NA-71 Mianwali vacated by Imran Khan. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq administered the oath to the PTI chairman.
In his maiden speech in the assembly, he criticised the one per cent in general sales tax proposed in the national budget for fiscal 2013-14 presented by the new government on June 12, saying it would make living more difficult for the poor already groaning under high inflation.
He called for restructuring the tax system on right lines and said most problems of the country arose from injustices prevailing in the society.
The PTI chairman said the government and the opposition should jointly frame a policy to bring an end to US drone strikes in tribal areas, where he said innocent people were being killed as a result of this campaign.
He said his party would support collective efforts based on consensus to tackle major issues including the war against terrorism which he said has claimed numerous lives and dented the national economy.
Khan’s party has formed government in the northwestern Khyber Pakthunkhwa province. It is in third position in the National Assembly after the Pakistan People’s Party which has 42 seats in the 342-member house and is leading the opposition.
Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan told the assembly that Prime Minister is considering inviting chiefs of political parties for talks on two-point agenda of drone attacks and terrorism.
The minister said all the political parties and the nation should stand together on the issue of drone attacks and convey a clear message to those carrying out these attacks that Pakistan is not a banana republic.
