Imran Khan announces return to Pakistan parliament

LAHORE: Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan today said he would return to Parliament after a 'boycott' of nearly eight months as the government has accepted his demand of a judicial commission to probe alleged rigging in the 2013 general election.

"Since the government has formed a judicial commission to audit 2013 elections, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to return to the Parliament," Imran said following a meeting of the party's Central Executive Committee.

"We have decided to attend the joint session of Parliament tomorrow. The Yemen issue is very important I will attend myself and present my party's point of view," he said.

PTI legislators in August last year had resigned from the National Assembly and provincial assemblies of Sindh and Punjab during a long-march protest against the alleged poll-rigging in May 2013 general elections won by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's PML-N.

The speakers of the national and Punjab assemblies, however, have not yet accepted their resignations.

The PTI had demanded resignation of Sharif and audit of the election during its four-month sit-in in Islamabad. The party had alleged its mandate was stolen.

Presenting his party's view point on the issue, Khan said Pakistan should not involve itself in Yemen-Saudi conflict as it had already suffered a lot by entering in the Afghan- Russian and US-Afghan conflicts in the past.

The joint session of the Parliament will be held tomorrow to discuss the ongoing situation of Yemen conflict and the policy of the government in response of Saudi's demands in this regard.

The PTI and Pakistan People's Party are the main opposition parties and it is said the government would adopt a stance on the issue acceptable to the opposition.

The government and opposition PPP have welcomed the PTI's decision to return to the parliament.