ISLAMABAD-  The Senate on Monday started discussion on the current political situation.
Initiating the discussion, the mover of adjournment motion Farhatullah Babar said a political party and a religious party have gathered people in the federal capital in the name of Azadi and Inqilab marches, paralyzing life in the city. He said due to the marches all shops near the site of sit-ins are closed, traffic blocked, attendance in the offices is thin and the residents are facing huge difficulties.
Other members strongly condemned the agenda of marchers causing threat to the democracy. They proposed that a joint session of the parliament should be summoned to evolve a strategy to address the situation.
Those who took part in the discussion include Haji Muhammad Adeel, Afrasiab Khattak, Aitzaz Ahsan, Zahid Khan, Abdul Rauf and Sardar Ali Khan. Also, the Senate unanimously adopted a resolution moved by PPP Senator Farhatullah Babar calling upon the government to amend the Gilgit Baltistan (Empowerment and Self-Governance) Order 2009 to empower the people of the area.
Speaking on the resolution Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the people of Gilgit Baltistan had voluntarily joined Pakistan and the area has critical geo-strategic importance for Pakistan as the route of Pakistan's security, foreign policy and economy passes thru it.
He said that the people of GB were governed by the 12-member GB. Council headed by the Prime Minister. This supreme body for ruling GB is manned by the bureaucracy of the Federal Government.
Talking to the media he said that it is a colonial mindset that seeks to control GB through executive order from Islamabad and refuses to empower the local GB Assembly to control their own affairs. Under the Rules of Business the powers of the Council are exercised in its name by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan which regulates and controls the administration of GB directly, he said.