Loadshedding dominates proceedings

The issue of loadshedding dominated the proceedings of the parliament as there was hardly any words on the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security to chalk out a roadmap for Nato supply, future relations with the US and drone attacks inside Pakistan's territory.
After a long pause, President Asif Ali Zardari summoned the joint session of the Parliament to discuss the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.
In the first session of the joint sitting of the parliament, Chairman of the Committee Raza Rabbani presented a report containing 16 recommendations aimed at providing guidelines to the government on foreign policy, Nato supply, national security as well as a dialogue on terms of engagement with the US. After the report was presented in the joint sitting, the Opposition had sought time for its thorough study and Chairman Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari adjourned the joint sitting for five days.
When the session started again on Monday, the members of opposition, especially those from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) raised the issue of loadshedding in Punjab. They strongly pressed the issue and said that the people of Punjab were facing 18 to 20 hours of loadshedding. The opposition raised concerns that domestic consumers and industrial owners were now required to pay a heavy fuel adjustment surcharge through electricity bills.
On the other hand, through protest demonstrations haven begun across Punjab against prolonged hours of loadshedding. Today (Monday), a man was shot dead in Lahore during a protest against loadshedding as police were unable to control an angry mob. When leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan raised the issues of loadshedding, the PML-N members chanted slogans'shame, shame, shame Bijlee Chore, Bajlee Chore.' "We would protest inside and outside the Parliament and also march toward President's and Prime Minister's houses if the problem of loadshedding is not resolved within 48 hours," the opposition leader told the government.
According to him, electricity is not being distributed equitably among provinces. Minister of Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar tried to assuage the feelings of opposition members by seeking proposals from them to help resolve the issue of loadshedding.
The legislators also raised the issue of acid attack victim Fakhra Younus, whose funeral prayers were offered in Karachi on Monday. Fakhra Younus committed suicide in Rome, Italy on March 17. They strongly stressed on the implementation of the law recently approved by the parliament on acid throwing crime.
MNA Kashmala Tariq emphasised that all the provincial governments were required to implement the law to curb such crimes in the country. Haider Abbas Rizvi of MQM, Haji Muhmmad Adeel of ANP, Shanaz Wazir Ali of PPP and other members expressed their serious concern over acid throwing attacks in the country. They said that the executive authority should implement the laws in letter and in sprit to provide justice to woman victims.