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Gillani says
culprits will be brought to justice
Opposition boycotts NA proceedings
Sharafat Kazmi
Islamabad—Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani has condemned in
strongest terms of incidents of violence in Lahore and Karachi and
has expressed his determination to book the culprits and bring them
to justice.
Speaking in the National Assembly Thursday he termed this violence
as conspiracy of dictatorship and said government will not
compromise in any way as peace is imperative for socio-economic
growth.
Mr. Gillani said these acts of violence are being fuelled by those
who do not want to see flourishing democracy and intend to derail
it. He assured the nation and the parliament that the government
would not allow undemocratic forces to follow their unholy agenda.
The Prime Minister said the government and its allies of Pakistan
Democratic Alliance believe in non-violence, reconciliation and
strengthening democratic process through supremacy of parliament.
He appealed the nation to exercise tolerance, accommodation and
adherence to law to ensure peace and stability in the society.
Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani said it is imperative to expose those who
are behind these acts of violence and the government has ordered a
thorough investigation and bring the culprits to justice.
He said a three-member committee has been constituted in Punjab
while Advisor to Prime Minister on Interior Mr. Rehman Malik is in
Karachi to monitor the situation and ascertain the facts.
Mr. Gillani said the government would never bow before those
elements who want to derail the system and would work in the light
of the vision of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his great daughter
Benazir Bhutto and would not compromise on their behest of
dictatorship.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Pervez Elahi rising on
appoint of order condemned the manhandling of Dr. Sher Afgan and
Arbab Ghulam Rahim besides acts of violence in Karachi. He demanded
immediate action to book the culprits and bring them to justice.
He said the opposition has extended hand of cooperation to the
government with a view to bringing harmony in the national affairs
but it does not mean that we would close our eyes on the on-going
violence and allow innocent people to be killed and manhandled. He
said our cooperation should not be taken as our weakness although
the opposition believes inconstructive and positive opposition but
these acts of violence have washed out all the efforts for political
reconciliation.
He described these acts of violence as a violence against democracy
and said the caretaker government in Punjab had no concern with the
incident happened with Dr. Sher Afgan Khan Niazi while massive
postings and transfers are being made on the advice of the
forthcoming government. Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi of MQM rising on a
point of order also condemnedthese acts in Lahore and Karachi and
said these have resulted in greatloss not only to Pakistan but they
will have grave effect onsocio-economic scenario of the country. He
alleged that someconspirators are involved to sabotage the efforts
for nationalreconciliation and they should be checked. Later the
opposition walked out from the House.
The national Assembly has been informed that there is power crises
in the country and WAPDA is carrying out equal load shedding both in
rural and urban areas to coup with the situation. Minister for Water
& Power Raja Pervez Ashraf responding a Calling attention notice in
the House that the government will take quick measures to increase
power generation to meet the shortage of electricity and overcome
load-shedding. He said the government will debate the issue in the
House and take it into confidence about the measures being taken to
overcome power crises.
The call attention notice was moved by Mr. Riaz Fatyana and other
members. The Speaker constituted nine Standing Committees of the
National Assembly passed by the House. These include Committee on
Finance and Revenue, Information and Broadcasting, Kashmir Affairs
and Northern Areas, Law and Justice, Privatization and Investment,
Public Accounts, Science and Technology, States and Frontier Regions
and Youth Affairs comprising on members of the House. The Law
Minister Farooq H. Naik laid before the House four Ordinances. These
include the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance 2007, the
Women in Distress and Detention Fund Ordinance 2008, the Regulation
of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power
Ordinance2008 and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Amendment)
Ordinance2008
Information Minister Ms. Sherry Rehman said the government has begun
its work with great zeal to improve the deteriorating law and order
situation and is hoped that positive results of these steps would be
visible within short span of time. Speaking in the National Assembly
Thursday she called upon the people to remain peaceful and exercise
tolerance to bring peace in the society.
She said everyone should keep the national interests high and work
for promotion of national reconciliation. She said it is the time to
reinforce unity and harmony to get rid of violence. She also urged
the politicians to avoid the politics of violence. The Minister said
the government is also committed to resolve the problems being faced
by media and hoped that a Bill to curb restrictions on media would
be laid before the House during the current session. She said it was
the People’s Party government that gave first wage board award for
media persons and now the present government would make its all out
efforts to implement the seventh wage board award. She said that the
government would propose the Speaker to form abi-partisan committee
of the House to look after the affairs of the Press Gallery in the
National Assembly.
She proposed to form Journalists Victim Fund to compensate the media
persons who have been victim of violence during the last five years.
The Minister said the government will also purse the Pakistan
Broadcasting Association to launch Life Insurance Scheme for the
journalists of electronic media.
Later responding to a call attention notice Minister for Commerce
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi informed the House that the country did not
face any loss from the export of basmati rice during the current
financial year. He said that six lakh fifty-five thousand tons
basmati rice was exported and the country earned 440 million dollars
from this export. The Minister said basmati rice is major export
item of Pakistan and the government has ensured supply of this
commodity in the international market on competitive rates.
The call attention notice was moved by Raja Muhammad Asad Khan.
Others invited the attention of the House regarding loss of five
hundred million dollars from the export of basmati rice during the
current financial year by getting lower prices. The House will now
meet this morning at ten.
A group of parliamentarians including federal ministers called on
Prime Minister at his chamber in the Parliament House. Talking to
them he said the government would improve upon the existing local
bodies system to make them democratic and more effective in
redressing the problems of the people at their door step.
APP adds: The Joint Opposition Thursday boycotted the National
Assembly session and held protest outside the Parliament House in
condemnation to the incidents of violence against senior
parliamentarians Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi, Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim, MQM
women legislators and lawyers.
Members belonging to PML (Q), Mutahidda Qoumi Movement (MQM) and PML-Functional
staged the walkout. PPP Ministers Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah and Syed
Naveed Qamar went to persuade the opposition but the opposition
leaders refused to return to the House.
PML President Ch. Shujaat Hussain told APP that the joint opposition
would decide whether or not boycott the entire NA session on
Thursday evening. He said he had hosted a dinner in honour of senior
parliamentarians Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi and Arbab Ghulam Rahim. He
said all the lawmakers of the joint opposition would also attend the
feast.
Later, addressing a press conference, opposition leader Chaudhry
Pervaiz Elahi termed the incidents “unfortunate and uncalled for”.
Condemning the incidents of rowdyism, Pervaiz Elahi told the
journalists that he was informed that Police had raided the PML
House at Lahore on Thursday afternoon and PML workers had been
arrested.
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