Constituency of Ahsan Iqbal: allocation of Rs 450 million for setting up sports complexes slammed

Ministry of Inter Provincial Co-ordination has informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Co-ordination that Rs 450 million has been budgeted for Narowal's constituency of the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal out of Rs 500 million allocation across the country for setting up sport complexes.
The committee met with Abdul Qahar Khan Wadan in the chair at Parliament House on Tuesday and discussed the issues relating to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), special audit report of the Pakistan Hockey Federation, and action taken on the recommendation to include sports projects for Sindh and Balochistan provinces in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) under the Ministry of Inter Provincial Co-ordination (IPC).
The members of the committee severally criticised the Minister for Planning, Development and Reform for allocating Rs 450 million out of Rs 500 million for district Narowal while ignoring all other districts of Pakistan. They raised many questions about the allocation of Rs 450 million for only one district Narowal and sought an explanation. Maulana Ameer Zaman of JUI-F said that we will raise this issue on the floor of the Parliament and also submit a privilege motion against it.
Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan of MQM also staged walkout from the meeting in protest against the remarks and attitude of Federal Minster for Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada. Earlier, the minister said while giving remarks in the meeting that "MQM members are blackmailers and they torched Karachi stadium. They damaged the sports in five years of their government."
The minister gave these remakes just before entry of MQM's Iqbal Ali in the committee room for attending the meeting. Iqbal said that the minister should have courage and give remarks in his presence. The committee lauded the performance shown by the Pakistan cricket team in its first test match and felicitated for impressive victory against the England cricket team. Moreover, the committee also praised the Military and Paramilitary Forces for securing the release of son of the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court.
The committee deferred the issue of audit report as it was under the consideration of Pubic Accounts Committee (PAC). The committee further recommended that the representatives of PHF and the Ministry should finalise and compose the financial rules concerning the emoluments paid to the players and the staff, and submit before the committee within one month following the conclusion of the meeting. The committee expressed its displeasure over the non-presence of the officers/representatives concerned of the PCB and questioned the visit of whole senior management to England. The committee, however, deferred the issue with further direction to submit a comprehensive report on questions raised during the meeting by the members.
The committee also directed the Ministry to submit a comparative report about the funds approved for all the four provinces. The committee further recommended that observations raised by all the provincial governments during their separate meetings with the committee be taken up in the next meeting.
The Members who attended the meeting included Rana Muhammad Hayat Khan, Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan, Saeed Ahmed Khan Manais, Muhammad Arshad Khan Leghari, Sardar Muhammad Shafqat Hayat Khan, Begum Tahira Bukhari, Sabiha Nazir, Aftab Shaban Mirani, Dr Mehreen Razzaque Bhutto, Mujahid Ali, Siraj Muhammad Khan, Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan, Moulana Ameer Zaman, Chudhary Nazeer Ahmed, Khalid Hussain Magsi MNAs and Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Minister for Inter Provincial Co-ordination.