PML-N, PPP, PTI trade barbs in Senate
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahidullah Khan said on Monday in the Senate that corruption of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman was echoing even in China.
The ruling PML-N, PPP and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers in the Senate traded allegations of corruption and indifference to the plight of the masses. PML-N parliamentary leader Senator Mushahidullah Khan alleged that PPP's corruption was as vital as was water for fish. He alleged that the PPP had done nothing for the people of Sindh since 2008 while the PTI had inaugurated two projects: a chairlift and a hand-pump in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
PPP senators Taj Haider, Sassui Palijo, Sehar Kamran and Mukhtar Dhamrah castigated the federal government for allegedly flouting the Constitution with regard to the rights of the smaller provinces and also denying them their share in use of natural resources, particularly gas. They lamented that several key institutions were shut down, including the Pakistan Steel Mills and added the government was undermining the Constitution by not convening the Council of Common Interests (CCI) meetings on time and not taking up pressing issues of the provinces, particularly Sindh.
They criticised Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair for doing politics, which was not his mandate, as he represented the Federation in the province.
PTI senators, including Mohsin Aziz, Nauman Wazir Khattak and Muhammad Azam Swati pointed out that it was the performance of a provincial government, which made the Sindh governor aggressive that was not being witnessed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as his party's government was delivering.
They saw no justification in imposition of GIDC, as the proposed pipeline had nothing to do with the smaller provinces, which was being laid for Punjab that already was using gas from these provinces, producing more gas than their use.
Law Minister Zahid Hamid winding up the debate insisted that alleged involvement in politics by Sindh governor was a non-issue, as he strictly followed the Constitution and stayed away from politics and that the CCI had not dropped the discussion on implementation of Article 158 of the Constitution during its meeting on May 2.
Minister for States and Frontier Regions Abdul Qadir Baloch said that Pakistan and Iran enjoyed excellent relations and there was desire on both the sides to further cement these relations by enhancing their trade to five billion dollars.
Making a statement in the Senate, he said that recent statement of the Iranian Army chief was highly inappropriate but the Iranian ambassador in Pakistan had clarified that the statement was taken out of context.
Regarding the recent Afghan firing across the Chaman border, the minister said negotiations were underway at different levels in order to reduce the tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
He added that recently two delegations also visited Afghanistan and held positive talks with the top Afghan leadership and a joint survey had been completed regarding the villages at the Chaman border.
Baloch said that CPEC was a project between Pakistan and China and no proposal was under consideration to change its name. The House passed a resolution, condemning the barbaric and brutal attack on the convoy of Senate Deputy Chairman Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri in Mastung.
The resolution moved by Senator Talha Mahmood expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the incident. The resolution prayed for early recovery of those injured in the attack. It said that such cowardly acts cannot shake the determination of the nation against terrorism.
The House passed another unanimous resolution expressing deep grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Director Staff Senate Secretariat Iftikhar Ahmad Mughal in the terrorist attack in Mastung.
The resolution moved by Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq expressed heartfelt grief and condoled the death with the bereaved family. At the outset, the House also offered Fateha for those martyred in terrorist attacks in Mastung and Gwadar and another four labourers in Kharan last month.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb laid before the House The Right of Access to Information Bill, 2017.
