Govt targeted for ignoring NA on Pak-US talks

ISLAMABAD Opposition and coalition parties of the Government in the National Assembly on Wednesday expressed their concerns regarding the delegation visiting US to hold strategic dialogue without taking the Parliament into confidence. Speaking on point of the order in National Assembly, Opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the Foreign Minister had gone to US with a high level delegation for dialogues without briefing the Parliament. Is it a banana republic? No body knows that what type of dialogue is going to be held and on which basis these are being initiated, the Opposition Leader said. He added that even the coalition parties of the Government were not informed about the agenda of the dialogue. Criticising the federal ministers, he said that Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi should have briefed the House before leaving for US. He said that the Government was earning Rs 140 billion in terms of surcharge on petroleum products and trying to reduce the budget deficit through such surcharge. Poor are worried about bread and the leaders of the country are 'fluting like Nero, Nisar said. Legislator from FATA, Munir Khan Orakzai while protesting, said that the Government ignored the Parliamentarian of FATA and did not bother to consult them. However, responding to the Opposition Leader, Minister for Housing and Works Rehmatullah Kaker said that it was the real effort of the incumbent Government that US itself invited Pakistani delegation. The credit goes to the Government that today we are holding dialogue with US on equality basis, he said. On the point of order, MNA from Awami National Party Bushra Gohar said that the Government should have taken the Parliament into confidence before starting dialogues with US. She also criticised the Government for appointing Hafeez Sheikh as an Advisor to PM on Finance and asked whether there was no one from the House of 342 or among the public that the Government had to import him to handle the affairs of finance. She also congratulated the President Asif Ali Zardari for appointing a lady governor in Gilgit-Baltistan and demanded that a female should also be appointed as NWFP governor. MNA Abdul Qadir Baloch, on the point of order, said that in 2006 when military operation was launched in Dera Bugti and other areas, around 0.1 million people were displaced but no body paid heed to the problems of Balochistan. He demanded that the proceedings of the House should be suspended to discuss the situation of Balochistan. Later, Minister for Kashmir Affairs assured the National Assembly that the Government had done proper planning for rehabilitation of the people affected by Hunza landslide and reconstruction of the badly damaged Karakoram Highway. Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and others, he said the affected people would be rehabilitated He said the 1652 people were affected who had been provided shelter and being looked after well. An adjournment motion moved by Muhammad Khan Hoti relating to non-release of funds under Parliamentarians development schemes was admitted by the House for discussion later.

ePaper - Nawaiwaqt