FROM A RINGSIDE SEAT

Given the intensity of senators' struggle to catch the Chairman's eye to get the floor to ventilate their individual and collective concerns it appears necessary that they should meet more often and for longer hours. On Wednesday morning too almost every one of them wanted to speak on point of order while in the pre-sitting conclave in the chairman's chamber their leaders had agreed to commence debate on price hike straight away. Consequently, the points of order took up full one hour--although, with hindsight, one would concede that that time so spent was well spent.
One issue agitated through the points of order was the fate of graduates from the medical colleges, which are not entitled to give them the degrees. Following a heated discussion, mainly focussed on some four hundred students who graduated from the Baqai University but were not being issued degrees, the house resolved that one Mr Hashmi of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council be suspended for his refusal to take Health Minister's pleadings and warnings seriously. During the discussion it also transpired that one prestigious institute based in Rawalpindi had pocketed something like one crore rupees only by selling the admission forms.
Then there was protestation first aired by Amanullah Kinrani and followed up by many others about a housing society in Islamabad which the protestors alleged was cashing in on the Parliament's prestige. But only towards the end of the day it became known that none other but a senator was the owner of the society and at least one senator had purchased one plot in that scheme. Chairman Muhammadmian Soomro found nothing seriously wrong with the enterprise except that the said outfit should not use the logo of the Parliament.
At long last Ishaq Dar was given the floor to open debate on price hike. One and a half crore more Pakistanis have slid under the poverty line, he claimed, adding according to the latest State Bank report inflation has reached the seven-year high of 9.9 percent.
Shunning technical aspects of the inflationary trend, which he said he would take up in the Budget debate, he showed how in five years of military government cost of living has increased by 70 to 200 percent. Yet there is no plan to control inflation, his protest bouncing back from empty chairs of the managers of nation's economy. Poor Sher Afgan, the minister for parliamentary affairs, was left alone to take notes and prepare for the winding up, which; of course, he did, but quite pathetically.
Then the floor was passed on to Azam Swati, person having firsthand experience in foreign investment. The country's poor economic conditions are not alone the product of present managers; Z.A. Bhutto's nationalisation was a serious blow to economy. "The government has no business to be in business". Then came equally disastrous foreign exchange freezing by Nawaz Sharif. He appreciated privatisation now underway but was worried that "foreign investor has no confidence about his investment". He also cited the World Bank that inflation would overwhelm the growth if not checked. "With tears in my eyes I ask the government" to expeditiously resolve the Balochistan imbroglio and constitute new NFC.
The third important input was Anwer Baig's frightening prediction that we are sitting on a volcano. Hungry and angry masses will storm and you will not be able to reach Parliament, he warned. While National Assembly Speaker ordered an expensive car and the President and the Prime Minister want to buy new aircraft and 40 bullet-proof cars are being purchased for ministers 700 persons committed suicide only in the last six months.
Professor Khurshid Ahmad charged the government of adopting models already rejected by the European economies. He also opposed "blindly-executed" privatisation and failure in ensuring the trickle-down effect of macro level benefits to the micro level adding in last five years people have lost 35 percent of their purchasing power.
The opposition's onslaughts did not go un-responded, but the response came from the lady members on the treasury benches, their male colleagues maintained steady silence. But it was a poor defence, that poverty reinforced by Sher Afgan in his winding up. So boring was he that Parigul Agha, an outspoken treasury member, got up to ask Sher Afgan please no more of it.
Since the House was being prorogued the same night the Leader of Opposition Raza Rabbani told the Chairman Muhammadmian Soomro that since he would be undertaking another foreign tour very soon the Senate would be once again "headless". The Constitution and rules mandated election to the post of Deputy Chairman during the current session, he said.
Soomro disputed the assertion that the Senate would be once again "headless" but conceded that what Rabbani said was important and studying the issue would be educative. But Sher Afgan had a different perspective on this legal tangle and stoutly refuted Rabbani.
The session remained by and large tranquil. The opposition requisitioned it and therefore it was obvious that it would not disturb it. Equally important reason for tranquillity was the yet one more act of drama of Byzantine national politics. Asif Ali Zardari is now telling the military to go back to their barracks "otherwise people will force them to do so", and that elections would be held this very year. If that is what his party is planning then the election-2005 has already begun. No wonder the government senators were indifferent to the proceedings in the House.