FROM A RINGSIDE SEAT

National Assembly's session on Tuesday was adjourned without any serious legislative business except Opposition and MQM legislators showing concern on privatisation of Qadirpur gas field and yet another assurance none other than the Prime Minister to defend sovereignty and integrity of the country in response to a Point of Order by Marvi Memon, who always hammers at the itching soar of the government.
On a private members' day, the session began exactly an hour beyond the schedule with Deputy Speaker National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi in the chair and adjourned after 90 minutes business to meet again on Wednesday after taking only few items from the agenda of 43 items for the day.
In a House with low attendance, as the Prime Minister entered the Parliament, Marvi Memon in her trademark style asked the government to explain its position on continued Nato strikes in tribal belt despite a unanimous resolution of the House calling for an end to the violation of Pak territory. This followed the same old speech by the Prime Minister that "sovereignty and integrity would not be compromised at all."
Someone needs to tell him (Prime Minister) that we are tired of such rhetoric and contradictory statements coming from different government quarters on war against terror. It is a point to ponder that the defence minister recently showed inability and helplessness against the Nato strikes while the Prime Minister told the National Assembly that it was made clear to US that such attacks would not be tolerated. Such sermons by the senior government functionaries have done no good but damaged its credibility.
This was evident from a sarcastic remark on the flour of House by PML-Q MNA Amir Muqam that, "Qabil Log Aayengei to Hakumat Ki Karkardgi Behtar Ho Jayegi" (When people with wisdom will come to the fore government performance will improve automatically). Noor Alam of PPP from NWFP was as upset as anybody from the opposition over not being taken into confidence while taking decision about military operation in his constituency. Annoyed Noor Alam said curfew was slapped in his constituency by the provincial government without taking him into confidence and threatened to resign if this was repeated again.
The government has budged from its promise of giving provincial autonomy, said Hyder Abbasi Rizvi of MQM clearly referring to the privatisation of Qadirpur gas field, which he said was the project of Sindh. He was immediately joined by Chaudhary Abid Sher Ali of PML-N and Hummayun Saifullah of PML-Q, all of them advising the government to learn lesson from the privatisation of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) and do not sell the revenue generating entities at throwaway price. Abid Sher Ali referring PSM case seems to have cautioned the government that it might face the same fate on privatisation of Qadirpur gas field, which Musharraf government faced while privatising the PSM.
Qadirpur gas field, the biggest revenue generation source of OGDCL with an annual income of Rs 36 billion was gifted by the slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto in her inaugural address in 1996 to the people of Sindh. Now the government was robbing Sindh from this gift, he deplored.
The House was also told about the assistance provided for the earthquake victims by the foreign donors, provincial government and people that made government with sufficient stuff to look after the victims during looming winter season. There would be no shortage of food and medicine for the people in the next three months but there have always been questions about transparent distribution of international aid that came through.
Updating the House regarding the relief operation in Balochistan, the Prime Minister said that the government is taking all steps to provide maximum relief to the quake victims, adding adequate amount of relief goods have been dispatched to the troubled regions and there is no shortage.
He said the government has arranged three months' ration for the quake victims in Balochistan adding that 6,000 houses have been built to provide shelter to the quake victims from the chilly weather, which are insufficient to accommodate maximum of the affected people.
Some interesting debate took place in the Senate on the government overall economic revival plan and privatisation of national assets. The opposition senators especially the former finance minister Ishaq Dar had come up with a well-prepared speech as he held the House attention for sometime by presenting good arguments against going to IMF and privatisation of Qadirpur Gas field and the NBP.
"A lot needs to be done to evaluate the real potential of Qadirpur gas field. You are selling it out at time of economic recession around the world," said the former minister. Ishaq Dar spoke very well, but one wonders what would be his strategy if he continued to work as finance minister, which he did when PML (N) was part of the ruling coalition.
The ministers and advisors were furious over some remarks from the opposition senators and they were making a point when they said that matter of Khanani and Kalia moneychanger was in the court and that it is subjudice. The issue subsided when interior advisor Rehman Malik gave some details to the House.
The Advisor on Finance Shaukat Tarin also presented the government case, but he did not give any specific details that what are the conditions, which are being put by the IMF for providing assistance to Pakistan. Most of the senators expressed their reservations on the remarks of the advisor. Sadia Abbasi of the PML (N) was the first senator to pinpoint lacunas in Tarin remarks as she said the advisor was not giving us the specific details of the likely conditionalities of the IMF.