Rabbani seeks report on abduction of MWM leader

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani Wednesday directed the Ministry of Interior to submit a report on Friday about kidnapping of Majlis-e-Wahdat ul Muslimeen Deputy Secretary General Syed Nasir Abbas Shirazi by armed cops in plainclothes in Lahore a few days back.

Senator Kamil Ali Agha of PML-Q drew the attention of the chair and said that Shirazi was one of petitioners in with regards to the Justice Baqir Najafi report on Model Town killings, which is set for hearing before the Lahore High Court.

He alleged that the Punjab government and its law minister were scared about making Justice Baqir Najafi report public which shows who could be behind the kidnapping. He appealed the chair to play his role in recovery of Shirazi as the government was not making any efforts despite passage of over 20 days of his mysterious disappearance.

The Senate chairman also reserved his ruling on ‘state institutions and their role in trichotomy of power, saying he would announce his ruling soon in light of the views expressed by the senators.

Fata Senator Saleh Shah, who sits on the treasury benches, alleged that people are being allegedly harassed in tribal belt. He said that he has brought the issue to the notice of concerned authorities.

Senator Saleh warned that such practices will not serve any purpose as support of the local people is a must to ensure long-lasting peace in tribal belt, adding that the torture of local people, including women and children, should stop immediately. We never heard this kind of treatment of people, so why is this discrimination against tribal people despite all their sacrifices in war against terrorism, he questioned.

Rabbani assured the senator that he would speak to the concerned minister to look into the matter. JUI-F Senator Hafiz Hamdullah from Balochistan resorted to agitation for about 15 minutes after chairman Raza Rabbani did not allow to speak on the delay in the passage of the constitution amendment bill.

The JUI-F leader, Hafiz Hamdullah, objected that his party should be allowed to speak as both opposition leader and leader of the house expressed their views on the delay in passage of delimitation bill.

But the chairman insisted that he could not speak on the matter as the House was discussing a motion related to increase in petroleum prices. But the senator kept shouting that he would not resume his chair unless the chair allows him to speak.

However, the chair kept warning the protesting senator, who refused to listen despite intervention by other party senators, who tried to persuade him amid warning from Rabbani, who kept saying: “Be seated Mr Hafiz….you are obstructing the business of the House. Have a seat before that I will name you. I am warning [that] I will name you.”

“This House does not belong to any single political party. We also want to know what is going on, and we also want to contribute in this,” said the JUI-F senator and walked out of the House by tearing the agenda of the day into pieces and throwing it up in the air.