News
Friday, January 25, 2013
PM’s alleged direction in Baldia Factory case
PPP, ANP legislators walk out from Senate
* BNP-A, JUI-F walk out against imposition of governor’s rule in Balochistan
By Ijaz Kakakhel
ISLAMABAD: PPP Senators Raza Rabbani, Babar Awan and Awami National Party legislators on Thursday staged a walkout over the expungement of section 302 against owners of the Baldia Garments Factory Karachi on the direction of the prime minister.
The Baldia Garments Factory caught fire a few months ago in which 270 people were killed. An FIR had been lodged against the owners under section 302. Before the walkout, PPP’s Senator Raza Rabbani told the senators during a briefing that about 270 people were killed in the factory fire. There are six gates of the factory of which five were locked, while the sixth was closed during the fire. He said the locking of the gate caused the death of the workers for which an FIR was registered against owner of the factory and investigation was opened. However, he regretted that some people met Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf after which he ordered cancellation of section 302 against the factory owners, and also changed the investigative officer.
Rabbani said the PPP is a labour-based party, but in this case the government/party has adopted double standards. The PPP manifesto does not allow anti-worker steps, he noted, and announced a token walkout from the House. The PPP leader was accompanied by another party senator, Babar Awan. In the meantime, the senators belonging to Awami National Party (ANP) also staged a walkout from the House. Leader of the House Jehangir Badar, speaking on the occasion, said that the prime minister did not give any instruction for the removal of section 302 against the factory owner.
Maula Bakhsh Chandio informed the House that he was there when a group of people discussed this issue with the prime minister. He said that they discussed that it was a fire incident and section 302 cannot apply here. He suggested that a detailed report of this case may be submitted in the Senate on Monday, which will clear the ambiguity regarding the prime minister’s directions in the case. Opposition leader Ishaq Dar was of the view that the debate reflects inefficiency on part of the government, as its own members were giving one statement while the government another. He suggested that the facts of the case should be shared with the House.
The Senate observed another walkout by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) and Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A) against the imposition of governor’s rule in Balochistan. The senators who had staged a walkout from the Senate session, demanded an end to the governor’s rule in the province and the resumption of the elected government. On a point of order, BNP-A’s Senator Kalsoom Perveen expressed her astonishment over silence of the House over imposition of governor’s rule in the province.
The democratic governments were running in three provinces, but not in Balochistan, she said, adding that the Hazara community had during their protest demanded army rule, not removal of the government. She claimed that the government knows well who is responsible for deteriorating law and order situation in Balochistan. She claimed that here is an international conspiracy against Balochistan and the president, Foreign Ministry or the prime minister should take up this issue with the neighbouring countries.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk