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WEEKLY
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| Punjab to fight for water rights: minister |
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Friday, November 06, 2009
By Faizan Bangash
LAHORE
PUNJAB would continue to oppose Sindh in ‘every forum’ over the water distribution issue, even in the body headed by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, told Senior Minister Punjab Raja Riaz Ahmed to the Punjab Assembly on Thursday.
The senior minister who also holds the portfolio of Minister for Irrigation said this while responding to a point of order raised by PML-Q MPA Mohsin Leghari.
Mohsin, on the point of order cited the statement of Sindh Minister for Irrigation Murad Ali Shah in which he demanded the implementation of Water Accord of 1991 for the proper appropriation of water to the provinces. Mohsin Leghari merely demanded the Minister concerned in Punjab to issue the policy statement regarding the Water Appropriation Award. However, much to the surprise of opposition benches, Raja Riaz, without understanding the actual contents of the question claimed that Punjab would continue to oppose Sindh in ‘every forum’ including the council headed by the Prime Minister, without even knowing the name of the body called Council of Common Interests (CCI). The opposition MPA, who didn’t look satisfied with the answer, realising that he had been unable to make the minister understand fully didn’t lay further stress over the query.
Mohsin on a separate issue while reminding the senior minister of the commitment he made a day earlier before the House regarding the setting up of procurement centres in every rice producing district, he said despite the claim, why no such centre has been set up in Dera Ghazi Khan.
Raja Riaz Ahmed in response to this said the government had decided to set up centres in the areas where the approved forms of Sindh Seed Corporation and Punjab Seed Corporation were available. He said Dera Ghazi Khan doesn’t produce such kind of crop but he had taken up the issue with Nazar Mohammed Gondal, the Federal Minister for Agriculture and asserted that a centre would be set up in DG Khan as well.
Later, Speaker Rana Mohammed Iqbal gave the floor to PPP MPA, Riffat Sultana Dar, whose unique way of speech provoked laughter among the legislators. Riffat during a point of order stated that the government must pay attention towards the problems faced by the students of a secondary school in Faisalabad. She said that the students, during an English examination were asked to write a question over the topic of ‘Tit for Tat.’
However, she said the students. Who wrote a story relevant to the topic were failed by the examiners for no reason. She stated that the government must take notice of this situation, which was risking the future of the students. Situation went amusing when Riffat Sultana stated that most of the paper checkers were ‘Paindu’ (villagers) who lacked knowledge about the subject. This led to a laughter and mild protest from most of the MPAs.
Shehzadi Umerzadi Tiwana, a PML-N MPA elected from Sargodha stated that nearly 90 per cent people sitting in this House were from a rural background and such a term mustn’t be used. Speaker Rana Mohammed Iqbal, however, in a lighter tone remarked that he himself belonged to a village and it was a matter of pride for him.
Sheikh Allauddin of PML-Q on a point of order drew the attention of the House towards the recent train accident in Karachi in which 18 people lost their lives. Allauddin on the occasion stated that luggage of most the affectees was also looted on the occasion and there were several sad stories related to this incident. He suggested the one-day salary of all the MPAs should be donated to the victims, which would also convey a very positive message to others.
However, his suggestion was opposed by some members and mixed voices were heard from the benches. Speaker Rana Mohammed Iqbal adjourned the proceedings till Friday.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
