Senate body of the Whole may be formed on drug use by youth

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Chairman Senate Salim Mandviwalla Thursday hinted at formation of the Committee of the Whole (House) on the rampant availability and use of drugs among the youth.

The PML-N Senator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pir Sabir Shah raised the issue in the House and asked how come it was possible in the presence of FIA, IB and other agencies and the law-enforcement agencies as well as the elite that drugs were being made available openly even across Peshawar and students were falling prey to them in large numbers.

“For Allah’s sake, I urge the agencies and other related departments and to wake up and move against the enemies of the future of this country and save them from drugs,” he said emphatically and asserted action against them before it was too late. Senator Rubina Khalid of the PPP also called for a comprehensive line of action and that the committee of the whole should deliberate upon it and come up with recommendations, which must be implemented. To this, the deputy chairman said that a decision would be taken on this after consultations with the leader of the House and leader of opposition. Senators Kuda Babar of Balochistan National Party, Sassui Palijo of the PPP and Muhammad Akram of the National Party and JI’s Mushtaq Ahmad deplored the shutting of VSH television channel, the only Balochi channel. “We see its closure as a media gag measure. We must be told why this step was taken and who is behind it,” said Senator Paljo. Senator Akram said that it was a step to take people of Balochistan to dark ages and that the media was already facing tough time in the province with 40 journalists lost lives and the latest victim was Anwar Jan, who was murdered for writing against corruption. He regretted that Radio stations in Panjgur and Gawadar were already in a shambles with no future. Speaking on a point of public importance, the PML-N Senator Salahuddin Tirzmizi complained that he had wasted six years as member of the House, as he failed to get resolved issues pertaining to compensation to those, whose lands had been taken over by NHA for building of road and GB people allegedly occupying lands in Babusar area. He noted that the NHA had paid no compensation to people for their land, taken over in 2001, when its price was less than Rs200,000 per kanal and now it was between Rs300,000-400,000 per kanal. He said that these issues were raised in the House several times and discussed in the relevant House committees but their recommendations never followed.