FROM A RINGSIDE SEAT

The Pakistan People Party is determined to get investigated the Mohtrama Benazir's assassination through United Nation. But that has also raised the prospect of strident opposition to this cause. It was all clear in the two eloquent speeches made in the Senate on Tuesday.
One was made by the eminent constitutional expert, Barrister S.M. Zafar, and that was rebutted by Raza Rabbani, the Leader of the Opposition. In Zafar's opinion, if the probe was conducted through UN it would expose the nuclear structures of the country to danger, and also led to quizzing of the country's nuclear hero, Dr A.Q. Khan. The latter had publicly admitted that he sold centrifuges etc in black market to foreign countries.
In this regard, Barrister Zafar quoted the expense of such an enquiry, and said the UN probe into the killing of former Lebanon Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri had cost $23 million annually, and all that could be found in the enquiry was that the gruesome act had been done by a boy of 16 years who was exposed to lead, and who roamed near military installations. Raza Rabbani replied to Zafar's contentions with equal force. He failed to see a connection between UN investigation and danger to our nuclear facilities. He also rebutted the Barrister view that the Resolution of the National Assembly should be seen as merely expressed a wish
But then Rabbani referred to recent propaganda, which had been raked up, perhaps by Senator Sayed Mushahid Hussain. The Senator was the first to make the connection and danger to nuclear structures of Pakistan during the UN probe. Rabbani suggested the idea was perhaps some one's else.
He also referred to the opinion of the former foreign affairs secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan, who had expressed his personal view on this issue. His views ought not to be regarded as view of the foreign ministry. He was forthright on this matter, since it should be a well known fact that the ministry worked under the umbrella of the government of the day.
Raza Rabbani also dispelled the impression that a unanimous Resolution of the National Assembly and similar Resolutions of the four provincial Assemblies should not be evaluated 'only as the wish of the concerned legislatures.'
This sally into the value and worth of Resolution of Parliaments also came up during the Question Hour, and that too, in reply to a question by Professor Khursheed Ahmad who asked the number of people appointed in Grade 19 and above during the Caretaker government's term, between November and March. The answer said 60 persons were appointed, including some with the status of federal Ministers and Ministers of state.
Not content with the reply, Enver Baig, begged the Chairman Senate with folded hands, referring at the same time to a Resolution passed by the House expressing displeasure against the appointment of Khalid Saeed, Chairman Nepra.
Baig pressed on with similar cases of appointments for Dr Khalid Mirza, Chairman Higher Education Commission, Professor Ataur Rahman, Lucman Mubasshar, Lieutenant General that meant the Caretaker government had disregarded the jurisdiction of the Federal Services Commission and other institution in appointment.
In fact, it appeared that the scene was contrived to bring such cases into prominence. Raza Rabbani, the leader of the house pleaded with the Chairman to take the questions of the establishment division first because the Minister had been summoned to a meeting by the Prime Minister.
The Minister was lukewarm and answered the question in wishy-washy way, often referring to 'policy matters,' and promising to furnish a definite reply some time later. On this issue the House relapsed into a shouting match, or a verbal duel between two eminent parliamentarians, which stirred a walk out by Leader of the Opposition, Kamil Ali Agha, Wasim Sajaad and PML-Q Members.
Fortunately, a patch up job was done at the behest of Chairman Soomro. Thus we had occasion to listen to a fine speech by Wasim Sajjad in which he questioned Finance Minister Dar's statement on the state of scaling down of the Pakistani rupee.
The Minister attributed the fall of Pakistani rupee vis a vis the dollar to the ballooning of oil prices that jumped from $60 to the present $120 during the last six months. The Minister assured the House that the coalition government was doing its best to manage the economy in the best possible manner. Wasim Sajjad had earlier questioned the Finance Minister's figures about the dwindling value of the Rupee, at a time, when most currencies was appreciating against the dollar. However, Wasim Sajjad remarked 'It seems the government is running out of patience, in the face of odds.