News
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
Govt, PIA in discord over acquisition of planes* Senate fails to take up agenda except questions amid opp boycott
By Ijaz Kakakhel
ISLAMABAD: The government and the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) presented contradictory answers in the Senate on Tuesday over acquisition of new planes.
The Senate on Tuesday failed to take up any business except the question-hour due to the continued strike of the combined opposition against presentation of “wrong figures” on drone attacks by Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan. The Senate session began late due to lack of quorum. The House did not take up the only calling attention notice on the agenda, which was about the regulation of media coverage of terrorism/terrorists/terrorist attacks. The motion of Senator Farhatullah Babar “regarding details of suo motu action taken by each high court of the country since 2009” could also not be taken up due to the opposition boycott. Only eleven of the 42 starred questions on the agenda were taken up.
Both the chairman and deputy chairman were absent from the proceedings and a member of the panel of presiding officers presided over the entire sitting, which was attended by the parliamentary leaders of JUI-F, PML-F, PkMAP and MQM. The leader of the House was present while the opposition leader was absent. The Senate referred PML-N’s Senator Hamza’s question why PIA flight No PK-302 was delayed on July 17, 2013 to the concerned standing committee, and he was told that the flight was not delayed.
But the senator disputed this answer, saying he himself was on that flight. JUI-F’s Senator Talha Mehmood asked the chair to refer this question to the standing committee concerned. Muzafar Hussain Shah of the PML-F said this is not a single incident of its kind as there have been several complaints regarding delay of PIA flights from across the country. He said it would be better to check the performance of PIA and find out the reasons behind such delays. Presiding Officer Rafiq Rajwana referred the question to the relevant standing committee for a probe.
Another PIA-related question was deferred due to contradiction between the written reply of PIA and Minister of Defence Barjees Tahir. Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasir asked whether there was any proposal under consideration of the government for purchase of new aircraft for PIA, and if so, how many. Defence Minister Barjees Tahir said the government was not considering any proposal for purchase of new aircraft. However, he said, it will get four aircraft immediately on lease from Turkey and 10 more will be acquired on lease later. But PIA said in a written reply that there is no proposal under its consideration for purchase/acquisition of new aircraft.
Senators Tahir Mashhadi, Abbas Afridi, Muzaffar Hussain Shah and Talha Mehmood were of the view that there is a contradiction in the minister’s oral reply and the written reply of the Defence Ministry. After a long debate the question was deferred by the presiding officer. Responding to a question, State Minister for Commerce and Textile Industry Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan told the House that the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan has investment portfolio Rs 351.246 billion and majority of this amount was invested in Pakistan Investment Bonds for a long period of time.
At the end, MQM’s Senator Tahir Mashhidi told the House that without the opposition, the House is incomplete. “Sincere efforts should be made to bring them (opposition) back to the House.” Senators of PPP, Awami National Party and PML-Q announced the next session of the Senate would be held in the lobby of parliament on Wednesday (today) in protest against drone strikes, price hike and Karachi and Balochistan situation. Speaking to media persons at the Parliament House, PPP’s Senator Aitzaz Ahsan said the opposition was protesting against the attitude of the interior minister.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk