Chairman Senate Farooq H. Naek on Wednesday constituted a six-member committee to resolve the issue of barring students belonging to Pakhtoon community from studying at Jamshro University. Various senators, while raising the issue separately on point of orders in the Upper House, expressed profound concern over the 'silence' of Sindh government to take an early action to resolve the matter.
They urged the chair to constitute a high level committee to look into the miseries of the affected students that have been barred from taking examination in Jamshoro University by activists of an ethnic and nationalist organisation in the province.
On this, the chair while giving his observation, asked the leader of the House Senator Nayyar Hussain Bokhari to constitute a six-member committee, comprising Leader of the House, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani, ANP Senators Haji Adeel and Zahid Khan, Humayyun Khan and ANP's Sindh leader Shahi Syed. The committee would hold meeting in a day or two with Chief Minister Sindh to resolve the issue amicably.
Senator Raza Rabbani said that he would arrange a meeting of the members with chief minister Sindh, who will be coming to Islamabad today (Thursday) to discuss the matter and find a solution to it.
Earlier, speaking on point of order Awami National Party (ANP) secretary information Zahid Khan regretted that three days have passed after raising concern in the House and the provincial government did not pay any heed to the issue so far.
He threatened of staging walkout from the House if the government failed to give a strong assurance to resolve the matter, saying that it was injustice with Pakhtoon students not to allow them to give their examination in the university.
He further stated that it was a conspiracy against Pakhtoons to deprive them of education, adding it was their constitutional right to reside and get education wherever they want in the country.
Abdul Rahim Mandokhel of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party said that it was clear that Pakhtoons were being targeted in Sindh and are being deprived of their rights. He demanded that effective measures must be taken to redress the issue at the earliest.
Haji Adeel of ANP said that his party's leadership had repeatedly asked the provincial government to contact the ANP's provincial leadership to resolve the problem. But he lamented that no attention was paid so far to find any solution to the problem.
He said that they wanted to give pen in their children's hands instead of weapons. Professor Khurshid Ahmed was of the view that it was regrettable that the provincial government did not take any action so far as the issue was raised many times in the House.
PML-N Senator, Mushahidullah Khan said that the situation in Swat and other parts of tribal areas has become grave with the extension of military operation, as the IDPs are fed up of their life. He said that the issue of the militancy is very serious, and it should not be taken lightly and its root causes should be sorted out.
He said that militancy and extremism have emerged after the 9/11 incident as Pakistan did not fight its own war rather war of US. There was no law and order issue before 9/11 and it is a reaction of the atrocities of US against the killing of innocent people in the name of war on terror. He said that without giving justice to the oppressed people, the war could not be won.
Senator Kulsomm Perveen said that the concerns of Baloch should also be addressed before they become worse. She reminded that a there are a number of districts in Balochistan, where national anthem was not allowed to be played due to grievances with the government and a sense of deprivation. The House would again meet today (Thursday) at 10:30 am, and would wind up the debate on Swat issue.