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Opposition walks out of Senate over minister’s AJK speeches
By Ijaz Kakakhel
ISLAMABAD: The combined opposition in Senate staged a walkout on Tuesday against the speeches of Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs Barjees Tahir during election campaign in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Leader of opposition in Senate Aitizaz Ahsan told senators that during the recent election in AJK, the minister issued “irrelevant statements”. He said that AJK prime minister wrote a letter to his Pakistani counterpart and asked for the removal of chief secretary and AJK IG because of interference in some government affairs relating to holding of elections. But he regretted that the Pakistan government did not call these two top officials from the AJK.
Aitzaz said that two Pakistan People’s Party workers in AJK were killed during clashes with PML-N workers but no action was taken against them. He demanded the government clarify its position. However, when leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq told the House that Kashmir Affairs Minister Barjees Tahir will brief the House in detail. But Aitizaz Ahsan said, “We will not hear him and leader of the house has to brief the House”. Aitizaz announced a walkout when his request was not entertained. He was supported by all the opposition parties.
In absence of opposition senators, Federal Minister Barjees Tahir rose to brief the House about Kashmir election, but PPP’s Senator Mukhtar Ahmad Dahmra pointed out lack of quorum. Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bokhari adjourned the sitting till Thursday. The House only took up the question hour and all the remaining agenda remained un-addressed.
Meanwhile, during the question hour, the House was informed that after the devolution process the production of palm oil was badly affected. However, now the government has taken appropriate measures to increase its production because it is the biggest item on the import bill after POL products. Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer said the present government is in the process of negotiation with the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) of Malaysia which has shown interest in large-scale oil palm plantation in coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan.
The minister said the government has taken various steps to increase the production of palm oil and wheat in the country. The Oil Palm Development Pilot Project was launched in 1996 in Pakistan by the devolved Oilseed Development Board (PODB) to promote oil palm cultivation in coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan. Another project, titled Oil Palm Development Project, was launched by PODB in 2005-11 at a total cost of Rs 113.08 million for oil palm cultivation on 12,000 acres.
The government of Balochistan also launched a project on oil palm cultivation at a total cost of Rs 326.371 million for a period of five years (2007-2012) for oil palm cultivation on 12,000 acres. He said that the oil palm seedlings have been provided to growers at subsidised rates. About wheat, the minister said some time the government exports it while at other times it imports it depending on local production.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk