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Friday, January 25, 2013
ANP wants OBL Commission report in parliamentBy Tanveer Ahmed
ISLAMABAD: The Awami National Party (ANP) on Thursday demanded that Abbottabad Commission’s report be presented in parliament for further debate in the National Assembly, which was again haunted by creation of new federating units in Punjab.
Contrary to previous days of current session, the House appeared lacklustre because of thin presence of members and absence of stalwarts of the parliamentary parties. ANP’s Bushra Gohar stirred up an otherwise dull atmosphere of the House. Speaking on a point of order, she noted that Abbottabad Commission’s report had been presented to the prime minister and it should also be placed before parliament.
“Inquiry commissions are constituted in Pakistan to shelve matters,” she said and added that history and record of commissions constituted earlier in the country to probe into different incidents was not good. Gohar said Abbottabad Commission’s report should not only be presented in parliament but stern action should be tkane against the people and institutions found negligent in connection with the US operation, she demanded.
Speaking on a point of order, PML-N’s Shirin Arshad Khan questioned the “silence” of the government for the last five years on creation of new provinces in Punjab. Referring to Yousaf Raza Gilani, she noted that the prime minister from southern Punjab was expelled after being forced not to write the letter in NRO case, while the sitting premier had never bothered to visit this part of province.
Speaking on sincerity of the PPP government with southern Punjab, Shirin Arshad Khan said that she was not provided the list of beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme from that area, whereas PIA flights and railway service to Bahawalpur had also been halted since the inception of the present government. She was also critical about the move at a time when present parliament is about to complete its tenure.
Responding to Shirin Arshad Khan, PPP’s Syed Khursheed Shah said that federal government acted when the Punjab Assembly forwarded a resolution for creation of new units in the province. He said only the PPP and its allies can fulfil the demands of people of southern Punjab for their separate province. He advised the opposition member not to insult parliament by raising questions over timing of move when the National Assembly is completing its tenure, and added that it has authority till the last date of its completion.
Responding to a member from Balochistan, Shah announced that 5000 employees in the province would be regularised soon, and directives have been issued in this regard. He told the House that the present government has regularised over 200,000 contractual employees.
Later, Standing Committee on Law and Justice Chairman Begum Nasim Akhtar Chaudhry presented the report of the committee on “The Constitution (twenty-third amendment) bill 2013, which envisages the increase in the number of seats for minorities in national and provincial assemblies. Law Minister Farooq H Naek presbyter the establishment of the office of Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) Order (Amendment) 2012.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk