Govt 'begging' for cooperation, says Maryam Nawaz

• Maryam chairing PML-N parliamentary meeting in Nawaz Sharif's directives
• Pictures of former chief minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and PML-N leader Khawaja Asif placed on chairs 
• Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Raja Zafar ul Haq attending the meeting

ISLAMABAD: PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz has said that the Opposition is adamant on its stance despite the incumbent government "begging" for cooperation.

She made the comment while talking to the media after a joint meeting of the party's parliamentary groups at the August House on Monday. "They will not be given an NRO."

"You will be shocked to know the details of the talks between the Opposition and PTI government," she emphasised.

Earlier today, Maryam had chaired the parliamentary groups meeting in the absence of Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif and parliamentary groups leader Khawaja Asif - both are currently in prison over a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) investigation. 

The meeting was attended by top PML-N leaders including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, and Raja Zafar ul Haq. To show solidarity with Shahbaz Sharif and Khawaja Asif, their pictures were been placed on chairs.

When asked about PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's suggestion to initiate a no-confidence move against Prime Minister Imran Khan, Maryam said the matter will be deliberated upon when it is put before the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) forum.

Talking about the movement's anti-government campaign, the PML-N leader said the 11-party opposition alliance will submit resignations and launch a long march "when the time is right". She said the incumbent government should worry about its own ministers instead of the opposition.

Maryam then criticised the PTI government for its performance, stressing that the Opposition did not have to inform people of the government's failures as they were there for everyone to see. "Every day the masses are hit with an inflation storm."

She added that the country had not witnessed as many failures in the 73 years since it came into existence as it did in the last two and a half years of the Imran Khan-led government.

According to a report in The News, a ministerial team led by Minister of Defence Pervez Khattak was to approach Opposition stalwarts ahead of the joint parliamentary session today and seek cooperation for the transaction of government business in the upper and lower house of the Parliament.

The opposition has been declining to attend the house business committee meeting supposed to be chaired by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar after deciding not to have any working relationship on any subject with him due to his partisan and objectionable role while conducting the house.

Last week, the ministerial team had a meeting with the opposition leaders but the opposition stalwarts refused to trust in the assurances of the government. Sources pointed out that the opposition asked the ministers to put up their assurances in black and white duly signed by the top government figures in future discourse.