The combined opposition in Senate on Tuesday filed two adjournment motions with Senate Secretariat regarding the centrifuge parts issue and World Bank's wish to be consulted on appointment of senior bureaucrats. In the first motion, senators from democratic alliance contended that Senate should discuss the matter of centrifuge parts, suspending routine business.
The motion noted that Pakistan on May 5 this year had sent parts of centrifuges to Vienna, Headquarters of the nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to enable it to compare the microscopic traces of uranium on them, with those found in Iran.
Quoting a local newspaper, the opposition senators said that IAEA had concluded that highly enriched uranium appeared to emanate from imported equipment from Pakistan, and not from Iranian nuclear apparatus.
"This is a very serious matter, of urgent public attention. Therefore, suspending routine business, the House should initiate debate on the issue," the motion said.
ARD Parliamentary Secretary Izhar Amrohvi said that the centrifuges' issue could be a conspiracy to implicate Pakistan in nuclear proliferation in connection with Iran.
Senators who signed the motion are Raza Rabbani, Ishaq Dar, Asfandyar Wali, Safdar Abbasi, Sanaullah Baloch, Farhatullah Babar, Enver Baig, Abdullah Riaz and Rukhsana Zuberi.
The second motion is in reaction to media reports that the World Bank had expressed its desire that future appointments of bureaucrats, who were due after getting training abroad, be made after consulting the donor agency.
The World Bank had approached Establishment Division, asking it to work out the bureaucrats' placement through mutual consultation, the motion said.
The opposition senators have contended that this is clearly an interference in Pakistan's internal affairs vis-a-vis their placement.
"This is a serious matter and causes grave concern among general public and, therefore, needs discussion on the floor of the House," the motion said.
ARD secretary asked: "Was it the economic sovereignty, the rulers had been talking about and that 'we had stopped taking dictation from donor agencies'?"
Those who have signed the motion are Raza Rabbani, Ishaq Dar, Safdar Abbasi, Farhatullah Babar, Mehtab Ahmed Khan, Sanaullah Baloch, Enver Baig and Amanullah Kunrani.