PPP, JI stage walkout from NA

ISLAMABAD: The parliamentarians from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) separately walked out from the National Assembly protest against the attitude of the government and not getting satisfactory response from the cabinet members.

The PPP members while lodging a protest against disappearance of close aides of Asif Ali Zardari, went out of the House after raising slogans of 'Shame, Shame'.

Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi who was chairing the House, had to adjourn the House due to lack of quorum after two hours of proceedings.

Speaking on a point of order, Leader of Opposition Syed Khursheed said that Parliament had become so helpless that no response was coming from the government. "Today is 10th day of our protest but parliament has become so helpless that no response is coming from them," he said.

He said that history was a witness to the fact that they could just raise voice before the Speaker, helpless Speaker and weak parliament. "Those who took oath for protection of parliament should also show respect to the Constitution," he said.

Meanwhile, the JI parliamentarians also staged a walkout of the proceedings for not getting satisfactory reply regarding hardships being faced by the patients at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

Raising the issue on a calling attention notice, Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqoob of the JI said the patients coming to PIMS had been facing numerous problems due to non-availability of proper treatment and medicines.

Aisha Syed also of JI said that a new emergency was established at PIMS but it was yet to be made functional.

Responding to the calling attention notice, the parliamentary secretary of Capital Administration and Development Division Ms Maiza Hameed said the prime minister had released Rs3 billion for up-gradation of facilities at the hospital.

She said the hospital was facing problems due to day by day increase in number of patients as the people from KP province were also turning up at the hospital for purpose of treatment.

She said following passage of the 18th Amendment, now it was responsibility of the provinces to make the medical facilities available there.

The JI member while protesting against response of the parliamentary secretary and terming it unsatisfactory, walked out of the House. They also demanded of the chair to refer the matter to the standing committee of the National Assembly concerned.