NA Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf says every institution should act within its ambit | Khawaja Saad Rafique calls for operationalisation of PIA’s Roosevelt Hotel.

ISLAMABAD    -   National Assembly Speaker Raja Per­vaiz Ashraf in Wednesday’s sitting said that constitution of the country provides that every institution should act within its ambit and all institu­tions should respect each other.

“Parliament is mother of all institu­tions and it represents 220 million people of the country and every insti­tution should keep this fact in mind,” said the speaker in his ruling, with the onset of the proceedings. With­out naming anyone, the chair also observed that the television channels should take care so that they should not become part of any hybrid war against the country and campaign of humiliating institutions like Pakistan Army. The whole nation mourned martyrdom of Pak Army officers who sacrificed their lives while taking part in flood relief operation, he said.

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Noor Alam, on a point of order, strongly condemned attempts to instigate subordinates against leadership of institution like Pakistan Army. He was of the view that live statement of PTI leader also served agenda of country’s enemies.

“Instead of stopping the statement, the television channel not only al­lowed to complete the same but it was repeated time and again,” he said, mentioning there was a need to pass a resolution that there would be no compromise on sanctity of sacrifices being given by country’s custodians.

Without naming any channel, he said the same channel continued to present him as US agent. Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif, responding to a point of order, said concerns shown by Mohsin Dawar regarding reports of presence of Taliban in Khyber Pak­htunkhwa province was a national and not only a provincial issue.

The lawmakers were also briefed twice that talks with TTP and Pakistan Government were in progress but a danger was still there. The house also passed a motion to declare seat of PTI member Muhammadmian Soomro from NA-196 Jacobabad as vacant for remaining absent from the House for 40 consecutive days without any infor­mation. “That since it has been brought to the notice of this House by Honour­able Speaker that Muhammadmian Soomro, Member National Assembly (NA-196, Jacobabad) remained absent without leave of the House for 40 con­secutive days of its sittings, therefore, this House declares his seat vacant un­der clause (2) of Article 64 of the Con­stitution,” the motion said.

The chair said that an application from the Muhammadmian Soomro was received on August 05 and he sought leave of previous 40 days and further till end of September. Howev­er, the Speaker said that under rules, the application could not be enter­tain at stage when the motion had been moved. The National Assembly passed the Public Private Partnership Authority Act, 2017 [The Public Pri­vate Partnership Authority (Amend­ment) Bill, 2022; the Bill to establish the Iqbal Academy for promotion of the thought of Allama Iqbal [The Iqbal Academy Pakistan Bill, 2022 and the Bill further to amend the Pakistan Pe­nal Code, 1860 [The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2022. Minis­ter for Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafique, responding to a question, informed that the incumbent government will manage to get revived PIA’s routes for the United States and the United King­dom this year. “Once these routes are restored then there will be no justifi­cation for the European Union to bar PIA from operating in EU countries,” he said, mentioning that the state­ment of former Minister for Aviation in previous regime regarding fake pi­lot brought bad name to country.

About the Roosevelt Hotel, Kha­waja Saad Rafique said this hotel is a precious asset of the PIA that needs to be protected. He called for the operationalization of the hotel, which has been lying closed for a long time. To another call-attention notice about shortage of life-saving drugs, Parliamentary Secretary for National Health Services Dr. So­bia Aslam Soomro said availability of life saving drugs at affordable prices will be ensured. Earlier, three bills were introduced includ­ing “The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2022”, “The Qanun-e-Shahadat (Amendment) Bill, 2022”, and “The Control of Narcotics Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021.”