ISLAMABAD: As the political landscape of Balochistan is witnessing turbulence in the wake of August 26 terror attacks and the resignation of Sardar Akhtar Mengal as member parliament, the opposition leader in National Assembly Omar Ayub on Wednesday demanded formation of a fact-finding mission to assess the situation in the restive province.
Speaking in the National Assembly, he insisted on taking Mengal’s resignation seriously, asking for resolution of the grievances pertaining to the province’s stakeholders.
“A fact-finding commission should go to Balochistan and assess the situation,” he said, demanding the formation of a committee that could talk to Balochistan’s people.
“The people of Balochistan are more patriotic than the rest of the country and their grievances must be addressed before it is too late,” he maintained.
Ayub insisted that the ministers of the Balochistan government cannot talk to people and the province’s youth does not want to listen to them.
“The people of Balochistan have a right to their resources. Talk to them,” he said, claiming that the federal government does not want to talk to them.
“If they do not talk, how will the federation work?” he questioned.
Hinting at the lack of interest by the government in resolving the issue, he said that the tragedy is that dictation is taken from somewhere else.
He asserted that people of Balochistan have legitimate grievances and that the province’s resources rightfully belong to its residents.
He called upon all political parties to take the situation seriously and address pressing issues, including the non-payment of electricity royalties to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Muhammad Hanif Abbasi demanded that the PTI apologise for the events of May 9.
He accused PTI of using funds from Israel and the United States to target the country’s institutions and claimed that the Leader of the Opposition had undermined Pakistan’s armed forces and insulted the families of martyrs.
Abbasi said that, despite the incidents of May 9, those responsible had not yet faced any consequences. He said that if the opposition leader had criticised Indian or Israeli forces, it might have provided some relief to the nation, but instead, the speech was directed against Pakistan’s armed forces.
He also condemned the attacks on military installations, asserting that these were orchestrated by PTI and witnessed by the entire nation.
He claimed that the evidence and witnesses against PTI were substantial, making it difficult for the party to evade responsibility.
Abbasi criticised PTI for its inability to address internal issues and suggested that the party should seek an apology rather than resorting to use of derogatory language.
He called for recognition of the sacrifices made by officers and soldiers in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Ataullah Tarar said that a committee has been formed to meet with Mengal.
He said that the committee comprising Rana Sanaullah, Mohammad Usman Badini and Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, had been tasked to persuade Mengal to resolve the issue through negotiations.
He said that Mengal’s father had significant contributions to Pakistan’s development.
In response to concerns raised by an MNA from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he said that it was agreed with the chief minister to resolve differences through dialogue.
Acknowledging the presence of talent in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he called for cooperation in addressing the electricity theft issue. He assured that load shedding would be eliminated with the ending of electricity theft in the area.
He said that inflation has decreased to 9.6 per cent and exports have risen by 14 per cent compared to the previous year due to the government’s efforts under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership.
Regarding the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) targets, he expressed confidence that the government was on track to meet its targets.
He said that the trade deficit was decreasing and Pakistan’s economy had been protected from the looming threat of default.
Meanwhile, the house adopted amendments to the appointment of the Special Committee on Kashmir under Rule 244B of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, National Assembly 2007.
The motion, moved by Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage, and Culture Ataullah Tarar was passed on July 9, 2024.
Amendments passed by the house include appointment of the Special Committee on Kashmir under rule 244B of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, National Assembly 2007.
The motion further said the word special committee and the words parliamentary committee shall be substituted and in sub-clause two after the expression Senate, the expression the chairman of the committee shall be from the National Assembly.
The motion said that the National Assembly Secretariat will be the secretariat of the committee and the rule of the procedure for the parliamentary committee on Kashmir 2021 shall apply to the Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir shall be added.
A bill further to amend the Pakistan Coast Guards Act, 1973 [The Pakistan Coast Guards (Amendment) Bill, 2024] moved by Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage, and Culture Ataullah Tarar was also introduced in the House.
The amendments to the bill include special provisions for the Pakistan Coast Guards Act, specifically regarding the appointment of prosecutors said Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage, and Culture Ataullah Tarar.
He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is focused on reforming the system. He highlighted that special measures are being implemented to prevent leakages and end smuggling activities.
Tarar informed the house that the Karachi Electric Company has received seven bids for solar and wind power projects aimed at generating 220 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
Responding to a calling attention notice concerning the collapse of K-Electric’s electricity transmission and distribution system and the electrocution of numerous individuals in the city during the current monsoon season, he said that the government was committed to ensuring that the seven bids for solar and wind power projects are implemented transparently to enhance K-Electric’s capacity.
The minister said that between July and August, Karachi experienced increased rainfall. As a precautionary measure, particularly in areas facing drainage issues, K-Electric temporarily shut down 300 feeders out of 1,800.
He informed the National Assembly that a group of individuals in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa recently stormed a grid station and forcibly turned on the feeders. Warning that such actions could lead to serious accidents, he stated that PESCO has decided to take legal action in this matter.
The NA deputy speaker, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, referred the calling attention notice to the concerned standing committee for further deliberation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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