FROM A RINGSIDE SEAT

Farooq Naek, the Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Human Rights Minister started it by affirming on Thursday in the National Assembly to look into all misdeeds of the past and take action if it was found after due scrutiny irregularities had been committed.
People in the galleries thought the Minister was getting near the Truth Commission, once mentioned in the beginning of the new parliamentary era dawning after the general elections of February 18. But it ended up by sending the motion to the Standing Committee. It concerned Erra's failure in relieving the sufferings of the earthquake survivors of October 8, 2005.
We might recall the media hype surrounding the donors conference in 2005 in which about $7 billion was committed for reconstruction work, entrusted to Erra, a management apparatus to construct new houses for the displaced people of the earthquake. But very little had been done to-date in bringing relief to the suffering people.
It might also be recalled that two days ago, the suffering masses had come all the way from Balakot, in drenching rain, and lined up in front of the Parliament House to make a complaint of having been deprived of the promised amount of Rs 175,000 per house. A Call Attention Notice was posted to act on public grievances. This would give us a glimpse of the tardy way in which the official machinery acts in redressing people's grouses.
However, this time the Law Minister was serious about starting accountability for squandering public money amounting to Rs 4 billion, as mentioned in the House, which had been provided to Erra for a mercy task in which the whole nation was united.
About 300 people from Nadra were seen protesting against lay-offs. From this we might guess that their cause would echo in the Parliament, probably, next week. Again, for the first time ever, Zero Hour was introduced in the House. This is an instrument to help Members attract attention to the most pressing problems of their area, in the hope that the Government would solve them expeditiously.
Within this space of 30 minutes we witnessed a bedlam Members of both sides were blaming each other for victimisation, and violence. Farzana Raja and Mahreen Anwar Raja, from the PPP, narrated blind and concocted FIRs as well as arrests of People's Party workers during the last eight years.
An incident referred to by MQM's Shaikh Salahuddin concerned a police official in Hyderabad. He had been beaten up and hand was cut. He had filed an FIR, but is being pressed to withdraw it.
PML-Q Member Sardar Bahadur Ahmed Khan Sehar from Layyah narrated a heart-rending story about a four year girl who had been sexually assaulted in his area. No one in the House appeared to be moved at such a heart rending and cruel happening.
However, Rehman Malik, the Interior Ministry advisor, in his oration, promised action "within two weeks" and assured the Opposition that there would be no victimisation. It was then that the Opposition staged their first token walkout. Because the Acting Speaker was not getting them a chance to participate in House proceedings.
Makhdoom Faisal Hayat also rose to remind that the Opposition had pledged unstinted support to the new government wishing it success for adopting a fair policy towards the Opposition. Former Interior Minister, Aftab Khan Sherpao also stood to remind the Prime Minister of the support they had pledged but the Opposition was not being consulted. He was referring to the Resolution in which a reference was made to the United Nations to set up a Commission to investigate the assassination of the Prime Minister.
At about the same time PML-Q Member, Riaz Pirzada stood up to appeal to the new government to start with new dynamism, forget the past and do some thing for the masses who have high expectations.
This provided a move for the Prime Minister (he stepped in at 1740 hours) to thank Members for their whole-hearted support. He promised to take counsels from all sides because, as he put it, it was the last chance for democracy to succeed in the country.
Then, in a round about way, the PM also advised the Advisor for Interior not to make haste in provincial subjects, and that his duty should be to interact with the provincial governments and take their point of view into account.
The Prime Minister had been reminded through newspaper columns to answer Assembly questions, in the tradition of the House of Commons, where the PM answers questions for 115 minutes every Wednesday. Information Minister, Sherry Rehman had responded saying that Prime Minister Gilani would do that next week.
That said, we might add that twice this week the PM had risen to intervene and speak on procedural matters. With the hindsight of his past experience as a former Speaker he is also trying to guide the Acting Speaker Fazal Karim Kundi, who is often found fumbling.
However, the news about the mergence of six-member 'like-minded group' was confirmed, when Kashmala Tariq, led them away from the meeting of the PML-Q parliamentary party. Speaking on the TV channels Wednesday night she had remarked that at least 15 members in her group would side with the Resolution to restore the judges. By the way, we hear that the Resolution for the restoration of the judges is almost ready, and we should expect it any day. "Ninety percent it is complete; the draft is getting the once-over," this scribe was told.
The statement and the speeches made by Kashmila Tariq, Riaz Piracha is being interpreted as an attempt by the PML-Q to move closer to the PPP, but in the lukewarm manner in which Finance Minister responded to questions meant that the PML-N would not encourage them. "Togetherness done for the sake of expediency does not last forever," Some one quipped.
Things outside were heading in a different direction in Cape Town where Speaker Fehmida Mirza is leading a parliamentary delegation to the 118th Assembly of the IPU. As a gesture to Pakistan she was especially asked to preside over the Assembly when it discussed 'the economic, political and social situation of the world.'
There she said that world parliaments ought to get together and utilise the services of women parliamentarians in bringing peace to the world; it is ladies who know the value of peace at home and in the neighbourhood. Hence, they could also usher in peace in the larger world theater.
We also heard reports that the Imam of Kaaba, and Speaker of the Saudi Arabian Council (a nominated parliament) called on her and prayed for the success of democracy in Pakistan and also blessed her. The Deputy Secretary General of the UN, a lady, Melisa also met Fehmida Mirza. A symptom of sense of world-wide hope that the new Pakistan Parliament would work well. Members of our Assembly have now the duty of fulfilling that global hope and perform well.