National Assembly session abruptly adjourned

The National Assembly session was abruptly adjourned on Tuesday when Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain ignored the Opposition who pointed out lack of quorum and called it a day.
Hardly 30 to 40 treasury members were present in the house when lack of quorum was raised by the Opposition, but the Speaker, who rushed back to the house, instead of asking for count, adjourned the session till Wednesday evening. The situation aggravated, when MMA lawmaker Hafiz Hussain Ahmed pressed Deputy Speaker Sardar Yaqub to allow members of Balochistan to speak on a debate on provincial autonomy.
The Deputy Speaker refused to allow Hafiz Hussain Ahmed to take part in the discussion and asked State Minister for Interior Zafar Iqbal Warraich to wind up the debate. Hafiz got infuriated and asked the chair count as the house lacks quorum.
Speaker Amir Hussain rushed to the house and tried to normalise the situation, but Hafiz stuck to his stance, saying the government was not allowing Balochistan members to express their grievances. The Opposition members soon after Hafiz's remarks started leaving the house and hardly three to four dozen treasury members were there. Instead of asking for count, the Speaker just announced the adjournment.
Later, talking to reporters, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said the adjournment was completely unconstitutional as actually there was no quorum and the Speaker was unable not conduct proceedings. Speaking on the Balochistan issue, he said the government has breached the privilege of parliament by sending recommendations of a parliamentary committee on Balochistan to President General Pervez Musharraf.
He said the recommendations should have been tabled before the lower house instead of forwarding these to President Musharraf. He warned that if the government does not change its attitude there were many more to follow Abdul Rauf Mengal, who has resigned from the National Assembly over the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti.
Earlier, the Opposition members while taking part in the debate strongly advocated for the grant of provincial autonomy to save the federation. They warned that growing sense of deprivation among provinces was a great threat to the federation, which could once again create 1971-like situation.
Federal Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Minister Salim Saifullah told the house that the government was going to introduce a new draft law aimed at ensuring provincial autonomy.
Initiating the debate, former finance minister Syed Naveed Qamar said Balochistan and Sindh have been deprived of their due rights, adding that country's boundaries could only be protected by ending the sense of deprivation. PPP-P lawmaker said that military dominated democratic system has always damaged Pakistan, as there is no mechanism to address grievances of the smaller provinces.
MMA legislator Liaquat Baloch said Balochistan is the biggest province and it should be given special consideration. He said that a recent legislation in which the government has reduced the tenure of Federal Public Service Commission members was an ample proof to expose government's tall claims of good governance.
He held the centre responsible for burgeoning hatred among the people of smaller provinces by adopting a controversial policy of appointments. Baloch urged the government to present recommendations of the parliamentary committee on Balochistan in the parliament. Zafar Ali Shah of PPP-P condemned the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti, saying the government has sown the seed of disintegration by killing Baloch chieftain.
Meanwhile, Farooq Amjad Mir of Pakistan Muslim League criticised Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for attending a meeting with Ulema in the federal capital over women protection bill. Talking to newsmen, Amjad Mir said the Punjab chief minister has nothing to do with the meeting and such acts would further aggravate hatred against Punjab.