Opposition continues NA boycott on Fata reforms

ISLAMABAD: The opposition parties again staged walk-out of proceedings of the National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday disregarding the assurance delivered by a federal minister that the Fata Reforms Bill would be tabled in the House on Thursday (today).

“Insha Allah, the Fata Reforms Bill will be tabled in the National Assembly tomorrow,” Federal Minister for State and Frontier Regions (Safron) Lt Gen (R) Abdul Qadar Baloch said when the opposition members were boycotting proceedings.

The minister said the issues relating to the awaited legislation would be resolved in a matter of few hours. However, the protesting members did not pay any heed to assurance. Speaking on a point of order, Opposition Leader Syed Khurshid Shah said as per their stance on Fata reforms, they would not attend proceedings till the bill is tabled in the House. “We are walking out of this empty House,” he said.

The proceedings remained suspended for an hour after one of the Fata members, Shah G Gul Afridi pointed out lack of quorum in House.

JUI-F’s Naeema Kishwar Khan who spoke on a point of order later on resumption of proceedings, advised the opposition members to refrain from doing politics on issue of Fata reforms. “The people of Fata are well aware of their rights and they also know how to get these rights,” she said.

The House also witnessed a separate walkout from MQM parliamentarians as protest against unresolved issues being faced by residents of Karachi.

As the MQM members returned to the House, their representative alleged the Sindh government had failed to address issues like law and order and shortage of water in the provincial capital.

He also protested against demolition of wedding halls without giving owners sufficient time. “I am not going to support China cutting but the people had made advance booking of these hall and they have to suffer to due to sudden operation by the Karachi Development Authority (KDA),” he said.

PML-N’s Shaista Parvaiz drew attention of the House towards activities of two officers of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in London where they had gone for investigation of Evenfield apartments.

She said photos of these two NAB officers with friends of Sheikh Rashid Ahmad appeared on social media. “How the NAB officers will be impartial when they are roaming with friends of Shaikh Rashid who is petitioner in the case,” she said.

PML-N member Rana Hayat again raised issue of low sugarcane prices which was making the agriculturalists to suffer. “Why the government is not paying any heed to their sufferings and arranging meeting of chief ministers,” he said.