QUETTA - A bill presented by Education Minister Tahir Mehmood regarding change of Sibi University’s name caused uproar in the Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday prompting opposition lawmakers to stage a walkout from the house.
Legislators exchanged harsh words with each other and opposition lawmakers boycotted the assembly session.
Earlier, the assembly session started one hour late with Speaker Ms Raheela Hamid Khan Durrani in the chair. Provincial Minister for Education Tahir Mehmood moved a bill regarding Mir Chakar Khan University upon which the speaker referred the bill to the house committee.
The Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) parliamentary leader Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, speaking at the assembly floor, said that the project of Sibi University was incorporated in the Federal PSDP and this was an on-going project.
He added that former provincial government had mulled over the projects several times and assumed that the project was part of the federal PSDP so only the federal government had the mandate to change its name.
“Four universities had been approved in Federal PSDP for Balochistan in which three varsities were registered with Turbat, Khuzdar and Loralai names, but the forth university was named as Sibi University,” claimed PkMAP parliamentary leader on the floor.
Ziaratwal warned the treasury benches must not make controversial the university by changing its name. The education minister said that the bill was referred to the committee where further deliberation would be held upon the matter.
The situation became tense when the PkMAP lawmakers and treasury benches started speaking at the same time and traded harsh words upon the issue of changing title of the university. The PkMAP lawmakers tore up the agenda copies and walked out from session in protest.
Former chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, on the occasion, urged upon the members to express their views in democratic way and beating about the bush would slur the dignity of parliament.
The speaker advised the lawmakers to demonstrate patience and figure out the issue in democratic way and also urged the lawmakers to bring back the PkMAP lawmakers.
The speaker then adjourned the session for indefinite time.
SIBI FESTIVAL STARTS TODAY
The decades-old historic five-day Sibi Festival will start today (Wednesday) with great pomp and show.
The city has been decorated like a bride ahead of the festival and the light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are adding splendor to its beauty.
Large portraits of President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Governor Balochistan Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Chief Minister Mir Abdul Qadus Bizenjo and provincial ministers have been installed on key roads along with banners to welcome the guests.
The annual historic fair reportedly started in Sibi in 1918 for the first time and continuously being held till today every year which reflects the ancient culture of people living in the province.
Sibi lies 163 Kilometers (3-hour drive) to the south-east of capital Quetta at the bank of the famous Bolan Pass.
Apart from the cultural heritage, the five-day festival is also the primary mean to promote monetary activities in the province. The Sibi Fair is attended by a large number of spectators from far-flung areas of the country.
Livelihood of the 80 per cent population of Balochistan depends upon livestock and this festival offers significant trade opportunities for all those attached to cattle farming, said Commissioner Sibi Division Mir Suhail Rehman.
Suhail said people have opportunities to exchange information with people from different walks of life regarding livestock farming, agriculture, industry, handicraft and science and technology during the fair.
Sibi – holding the festival – is countrywide famous for its hospitality, warm weather and a large number of cattle owners.
Traditionally every year, during February, tribesmen from all over the province and other parts of the country including Sindh and Punjab flock to Sibi with their animals to attend the fair.
The prominent features of this Sibi Festival are horse and cattle and cultural shows, tent-pegging, camel race, animal markets and exhibitions of handicrafts, tribal dresses and folk dances.
It is claimed that Sibi Fair is the second largest fair in the country after grand Horse and Cattle Show and Industry Exhibition of Lahore.
“Scores of new and special items have been included to modernise the traditional programmes in the festival,” said Deputy Commissioner Sibi Zakir Khan Nasar, who is also the chairman of organising committee of the fair.
Zakir said that special programmes had been planned for women and children and these all efforts were meant to make the event a success.
The events finalised for the five-day festival have been enlisted as books fair, agricultural and industrial exhibition, free medical camp of Pak Army, exhibition of military equipment, army parade, flyover shows, horse and cattle show, animals display, motorcycle jump, musical night show, Meena Bazaar for women, special children show, sports competition for schools children, fireworks and others.
Foolproof security arrangements had been made for the five-day Sibi Mela, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Najeebullah Pandrani.
About the security plan, the SSP said that 1600 lawmen would perform duties at the festival and security men in plain clothes would also be deployed for the safety of masses.
He added that there would be a strict checking of national identity cards for entry into the main public gathering and entertaining places and visitors would be frisked.
Apart from officials, the media representatives had also been issued special passes so that they could uninterruptedly perform their duty, the SSP Pandrani maintained.
The chief minister and commander Southern Command Balochistan were expected to attend the inaugural ceremony while invitations had also been sent to president, prime minister, five chief ministers and others.