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Petroleum crisis: PAC directs petroleum secretary to explain govt’s position
* Khurshid says the case of Baldia Town factory fire should be tried by a military court
By Ijaz Kakakhel
ISLAMABAD: Taking suo moto on a media report over petroleum crisis, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday directed the petroleum secretary to appear before it and explain the government’s position on the lingering POL crisis. PAC Chairman Syed Khurshid Shah was informed that the petroleum secretary could not appear before the committee because he was directed to attend a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet. The committee chairman suspended the meeting and directed him to appear on Tuesday with all relevant record of the recent petroleum emergency. The case of Baldia Town, Karachi, garment factory fire which left around 250 workers dead should be tried by a military court, Syed Khurshid Shah told the committee. After PAC meeting, Khurshid Shah told media persons that his party would support the trail if a criminal case is sent to military courts, adding that the revelations made in the joint investigation report were really shocking. Shah said it was the right of Sindh’s apex committee to refer the case to the military courts. He said the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was composed of military as well as civilian agencies’ officials (ISI and IB) along with from other relevant departments which presented their report after thorough investigation spread over two and half years. He advised the MQM leader Altaf Hussain to follow footsteps of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who disowned a group of youngsters who were involved in criminal and sabotage cases as well as cancelled party membership of those who supported the group. He said the MQM must disown and expel those who were involved in criminal activities. Shah criticised the government on ignoring parliament with regard to the function of apex committees in provinces. He said the parliamentarians must be taken into confidence over apex committees. “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should realise that it was the sole institution that stood behind his government against the sit-in of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf. But the parliament is now being ignored on the subjects like taxes and other important bills,” he added. He further informed the media persons that if the government did not give due attention to the opposition’s demand, he would approach a court of law. Criticising the low attendance of ministers in parliament, he said there was a minister who was not attending any session of the parliament and others’ attendance was only 25 percent. Contrary to this, he said the attendance of ministers in Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto era was 100 percent whereas it was 75 percent during the previous government of PPP.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk