Punjab Assembly gives nod to trifurcate Punjab - PakTribune.com

10 May, 2012

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly has unanimously passed separate resolutions in favour of two new provinces – 'Southern Punjab' and 'Bahawalpur' – to be carved out of the southern areas of the current Punjab, resulting in trifurcation of the province.

Though the ruling party in the province, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), tried to get some political mileage on the issue after presenting the resolutions independently, the opposition, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), foiled the move.

Resultantly, both the treasury and opposition benches reached a consensus to table both resolutions in the House jointly and decided that the parliamentary leaders of every party in the assembly will move the resolutions one after the other and the presentation of both resolutions would be considered mutual.

Following the decision, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, opposition leader Raja Riaz, parliamentary leader of the PML-Q Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, parliamentary leader of PML-Functional (PML-F) Makhdoom Ahmad Mehmood and parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Ali Noor Niazi moved the resolutions one by one.

Consequently, 201 parliamentarians in the House at the time voted in favour of the resolutions. The assembly adopted the first resolution on Bahawalpur province, which stated that the people of Bahawalpur were struggling for restoration of their province and it was not a new demand but based on administrative, geographical, historical, constitutional and political facts, so on these grounds, former province of Bahawalpur should be restored without any delay.

The resolution also stated that the House wanted restoration of this province immediately, and it also demanded that the federal government constitute a national commission to decide all basic matters such as demarcation of the new province, its administrative, constitutional and legal matters and distribution of resources, and the proposed commission should complete its work on the new province as soon as possible.

Next, the House adopted the second resolution regarding 'Southern Punjab' province, which stated that the 'Southern Punjab' province be made immediately, and also that the federal government constitute a national commission to decide all basic matters such as demarcation of the new province, its administrative, constitutional and legal matters and 0distribution of resources, and it (proposed commission) should complete its work on the new province earliest.

Earlier, PPP's newly elected member of the provincial assembly from Multan, Usman Bhatti, and returning candidate on a reserved seat for women, Shamaila Rana of the PML-N, took their oaths. When Shamaila Rana was taking oath, opposition members chanted slogans against her, calling her "chor" and "dakoo". They shouted "shame shame" against her and also waved their ATM cards in front of her, referring to the reason of her resignation in August 2009 – alleged misuse of ATM cards of her two colleagues after stealing them. In response, PML-N legislators raised slogans of "Go Zardari Go!" and "Go Gilani Go!", turning the House into a fish market.

PPP members, especially Sajida Mir, Shaukat Basra, Hasan Murtaza and Nargis Faiz Malik, chanted of "alwida, alwida – Jati Umrah alwida", "Takht-e-Lahore thaa" and "dooji waari fare Zardari" (Zardari for the second time).

Later, the speaker adjourned the session for an indefinite period. After the session, some lawmakers from southern Punjab raised slogans in favour of two more provinces comprising Thal and Potohar.

End.

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National Assembly session: Govt, opposition squabble over Bhoja Air crash probe - The Express Tribune

PML-N stages walkou­t as Nisar expres­ses concer­n over validi­ty of commis­sion. PML-N stages walkout as Nisar expresses concern over validity of commission. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: 

As families of the Bhoja Air plane crash victims mourn their loved ones, the government and opposition continue to squabble over a commission set up to probe the crash.

While the government insisted in the National Assembly on Wednesday that the commission, announced by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, fulfils the criteria for being a judicial body, the opposition expressed scepticism over its composition.

The bickering between the government and the opposition culminated in an unannounced boycott by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira resorted to personal attacks.

After the departure of PML-N, Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khursheed Shah invited the opposition to suggest names of commission members even if they were sitting judges, and said that the government was ready to address the issue and would have no objection to setting up a commission with consensus.

Earlier, Prime Minister Gilani, who attended the proceedings for a brief period, said that his decision was taken in the light of international practice while responding to the opposition’s concerns.

“I was asked by the families of victims (during a visit to the hospital) for an inquiry,” the premier said, and added “we do not need to be apologetic over the issue.”

Later on Law Minister Farooq H Naek justified the commission was judicial by citing the Commission Act and the integrity of its members, saying, “Every judge has taken oath under the PCO at some point.”

In addition, he said, the families of victims had not raised any objection over the commission’s composition and there should be no political point scoring over the issue.

But the justification could not satisfy the opposition leader who once again said: “The so-called commission cannot be termed a judicial commission since it has been set up to cover up the facts of the crash.”

To counter the law minister, Nisar said that the judges nominated for the commission had faced contempt of court earlier. He also questioned the government over the AirBlue plane crash report, saying it had not been released.

“We will not participate in the debate if you are not ready to constitute a national commission with consensus,” Nisar warned. He also suggested that a timeframe be defined for the investigation and relatives of victims be taken into confidence.

In response, Kaira said the opposition had indulged in point scoring over the issue. “We are not here to please anyone,” he said rejecting the opposition’s proposal of a new commission, adding that “It was a purely technical job and a timeline cannot be set for it.”

The moment he took his seat, Chaudhry Nisar rose up and said the information minister was justifying his newly-attained portfolio but “we are not here to attend lectures.”

Though Khursheed Shah and others tried to pacify Kaira, the infuriated information minister then rose immediately himself, reciprocating: “I am well aware about the conduct of every member of the opposition and how they play politics.” He said Nisar’s comments against him were “disgusting”.

In the meanwhile, the opposition boycotted the proceedings without any announcement.

Earlier, the opposition and government both tried to take credit for initiating debate over the issue in the lower house, which came into session without having a Business Advisory Committee Meeting (during which the agenda of the house is set). With no agenda set, the proceedings started with a walkout by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) which insisted on a debate instead of the question hour.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26th, 2012.

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