ISLAMABAD - SYED DANISH HUSSAIN and IMRAN MUKHTAR - Pointing out the stark reality that central government is not seriously taking the law and order situation in Karachi and other areas of the country, the legislators belonging to the opposition and government-allied parties Wednesday separately walked out of the Senate.
The situation forced the Chairman Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari to adjourn the House for the day only after 15 minutes of its commencement after a brief question-hour session.
The issue was the same. Neither the Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf nor Interior Minister Rehman Malik came to the House to inform the legislators about measures so far the government has taken to normalise the gory situation in Karachi and Balochistan, as was assured to them by the Law Minister Farooq H Naek the other day (Tuesday).
During the course of proceedings on Tuesday, Farooq H Naek had promised the legislators that he would convey their reservations over absence of concerned minister during a debate relating to his office to the Premier. However, on Wednesday it turned a hallow promise, when Leader of the House Senator Jehangir Badr informed that Prime Minister had other important meetings to attend and that he (PM) would soon address the House.
"Karachi's violent situation has continuously been slipping from the hands of federal government but they are not ready to come to the House to inform us about the exact situation," Senator Zahid Khan of government-ally party, ANP, said adding "It's useless to sit here anymore."
"No one is ready to listen to anymore to the Interior Minister Rehman Malik over the issue, as he always sees and describes some foreign hand behind deteriorating law and order situation," Senator Zahid Khan said and walked out of the House along with ANP legislators.
Hasil Bazenjo of National Party before leading a walkout jointly staged by the opposition parties including the PML-N, PML-Likeminded, National Party and JUI-F lamented that the House had been discussing the motion involving target killings and sectarian violence in Karachi and Balochistan for the past three months but no one was even considering their proposals and suggestions.
Seeing the situation, Senator Nasreen Jalil of MQM also announced to stage walkout of the House. "At least the Interior Minister should be here," she commented. The Chairman Senate humming the lack of quorum adjourned the House to meet again on Thursday at 4pm.
At a time when former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is facing FIA inquiry in Haj scam for allegedly making an illegal appointment, his name also came to light in the Senate for making direct appointments in the Foreign Service without fulfilling the prerequisite criteria of appearing in the CSS examination.
Normally, the candidates, after passing the CSS examination, are required to go through separate training sessions at CSS academy Lahore and Foreign Services Academy, Islamabad, to join the Foreign Service of Pakistan. However, Gilani during his tenure appointed at least two candidates in the Foreign Service that never qualified the CSS examination and among one of the appointees is the daughter of senior PPP leader and Federal Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Faheem.
Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar shared this information with the Upper House of the Parliament in her written reply during the question/hour session in response to a question of Senator Kalsoom Perveen.
Maliha Makhdoom, daughter of Makhdoom Amin Faheem, was appointed as first secretary, Dublin, Ireland on contract basis for a period of two years after formal approval by the then Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. Gilani further approved the extension in her contract for another two years till February 2013. For a common Foreign Service officer, it requires at least ten years of experience to be elevated to a high position of first secretary which at some Pakistani missions abroad, is considered the second highest post. Makhdoom holds honours degree in English (Literature).
Furthermore, another appointee of former Prime Minister is Salis Kiani having domicile of Azad Jammu and Kashmir who has only the FSC (Pre-medical) certificate to his credentials. His contract services were also extended till December 31, 2012 with the approval of the then prime minister. State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan, responding the queries of the lawmakers said that proper procedure had not been followed while making these appointments and ministry thought it a wrong way. "However it is binding on the ministry to follow the orders of the chief executive of the country," he added. He further said that principally these appointments could not be made.
In response to another question posed by Senator Talha Mahmood, Foreign Minister in her written reply informed the House that at present 8,698 Pakistanis were languishing in the jails of foreign countries. With the country-wise break up, the House was told that 2373 Pakistanis were imprisoned in Saudia Arabia followed by 1416 in UK, 1334 in UAE, 403 in India, 347 in Oman, 319 in Greece, 315 in Afghanistan as well as 35 in Bagram only and 314 Pakistanis were imprisoned in Kuwait. Similarly, 264 Pakistanis were jailed in China, 202 in Malaysia, 150 in Hong Kong, 169 in Spain, 134 in Italy, 99 in USA, 90 in Thailand and 79 were imprisoned in Iran.
Foreign Minister Khar in her written reply to a question regarding sale of properties under the use of Foreign Ministry and owned by Pakistani Government abroad informed the House that from January 2000 to date, eight buildings owned by government were sold in Thailand, Kenya, Indonesia, Japan and Philippines respectively.
These buildings include old embassy residence in Bangkok, Thailand; chancery building as well as embassy residence in Jakarta, Indonesia; embassy residence in Manila, Philippines; Muthaiga property as well as embassy residence in Nairobi, Kenya and chancery building as well as embassy residence in Tokyo, Japan. The House was informed that Pakistani embassy in Manila paid the rent amounting to US $ 800,000 since 2006/07 for ambassador's residence after the sale of its own building.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Malik Amad Khan informed the chair that these properties were sold by adopting the laid down procedure with the approval of the inter-ministerial committee (IMC) comprising the special secretary (finance) or his nominee and additional secretary (Admin.), Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He further said that in the sale of Chancery building at Jakarta, Indonesia, the laid down procedure was not adopted in letter and spirit and all this happened when Major General Syed Mustafa Anwar Hussain was the ambassador of Pakistan to Indonesia.