Govt Meddling in G-B polls: Opp

By Maqsood Tirmizi in The Nation, Dec 12
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Muslim League (N) Wednesday staged a token walkout in the National Assembly over dilly-dally attitude of the government in tabling the draft Accountability Bill in the House.
Earlier, the opposition parties jointly staged another walkout over the issue of government’s indifference attitude towards the MPs’ queries about the paddy procurement.
Talking on a point of order, Opposition Leader Ch. Nisar Ali Khan said the bill had been discussed in the National Assembly Standing Committee on Law and Justice for the last three months. He said the committee members had given joint decision thrice on the bill but the government had put the things in loop.
“The bill which the government wants to bring is not for the accountability of the corrupts but to save their skins. PML-N will keep opposing the government till enforcing of a proper system for accountability,” opposition leader said.
He said coalition partners like MQM and JUI-F also had shown concerns over the issue of accountability. “We are staging a token walkout from the House,” Nisar said.
Nisar also criticised the government for utilising its resources in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) to win maximum seats in elections. He also condemned announcement of development packages by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for Gilgit-Baltistan before elections.
He said it was duty of the Gilgit-Baltistan Governor to ensure transparency in elections but he (Governor) himself and concerned departments were involved in manipulating the people. “People of the area have also asked us to announce packages in the similar way but we refused to do so,” the Opposition Leader said. He asked the Election Commission of Pakistan to take notice of the government machinery’s involvement in the GB elections. The PML-N leader said that he had received a letter stating that a Parliamentarian Enclave was being constructed and plots would be allotted to MPs. He said his party would oppose the idea and none of PML-N MPs would get plot.
Meanwhile, MQM leader Wasim Akhtar also raised the issue of government’s involvement in the GB elections. Responding to Ch. Nisar, Minister for Labour and Manpower Khurshid Shah ensured the House that elections would be held with full transparency and the government was not using its machinery in its own favour.
He said the Punjab government had also announced packages for the people of GB but the federal government had no objection on it. He told the House that an advertisement appeared in a section of the press on behalf of Punjab government announcing to enhance Gilgit-Baltistan student quota in the educational institutions of Punjab. Denying MPs enclave, he said no such letter was issued from any office.
Earlier, PML-Q and PML-N collectively staged a walkout from the House against the government’s indifference toward the MPs queries about the paddy procurement and its failure to buy paddy from the farmers.
PML-Q MNA Raza Hayat Hiraj pointed out that the government had neglected south Punjab, as no purchase center was established in the area. He said the government was focusing only on central Punjab.
The Speaker asked the Minister for Food and Agriculture Nazar Muhammad Gondal to reply and satisfy Raza Hayat. However, PML-N leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said that they were not satisfied with the minister’s reply and they staged a token walk out. Later, Federal Ministers Khurshid Shah and Babar Awan went to convince them and brought them back in the House.
Earlier, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said it was for the first time that the government had given funds to the opposition parties.
Responding to a point of order by Ayaz Ameer, Premier Gilani said that in the past development funds were not given to the opposition members as well as women and minority members. He said funds had also been given to the MNAs from the Prime Minister’s discretionary fund to execute development projects in their constituencies.
Ayaz Ameer informed the House that Minister for Food and Agriculture Nazar Muhammad Gondal was going to inaugurate a project in his constituency. However, the Minister was of the view that he was invited by a local MPA.
The Lower House also resumed discussion on the law and order situation. In his address, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao pointed out that terrorists were trying to create atmosphere of fear and demoralise personnel of law enforcing agencies.
He said it was because of the focus on terrorism that other crimes like dacoities, thefts and kidnappings were going un-noticed. He regretted that the government was not implementing recommendations of the National Security Committee of the Parliament.
He suggested that the Interior Ministry and other concerned agencies should formulate a comprehensive strategy to address the problem. Sherpao said there should be cooperation between all intelligence agencies.
Responding to points raised by Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said a Crisis Management Cell was functional that scrutinised intelligence gathered by different state agencies and real time information was passed on to provinces and other concerned for action.  Rehman Malik informed the House that joint investigation team had arrested masterminds of terrorist attacks on the office of the World Food Programme and International Islamic University. He said on their information few suicide bombers had also been arrested.
http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online//Politics/12-Nov-2009/Opp-blasts-govt-for-meddling-in-GilgitBaltistan-polls