ISLAMABAD, March 4: Parliamentarians on Tuesday used privilege motions to establish their writ, one by succeeding in getting the government summon chairman Zarai Taraqiyati Bank Limited and the other by having an officer of Qasr-i-Naz Karachi transferred.
The first motion was tabled by Haji Gul Mohammad Dumar, upon which he was assured that chairman Zarai Taraqiyati Bank, Mr Istiqlal Mehndi, will be summoned on Wednesday at 9am sharp for giving an explanation before him in the chamber of Abdus Sattar Lalika, the chief whip of the ruling party and Federal Minister for Labour.
While complaining, Mr Dumar told the house that on Feb 6, he had a scheduled appointment with the chairman of the bank at 1pm. But when he went there, he was kept waiting till 3pm and, in the end, he was told that the chairman would not see him because he wanted to go home.
“This reflects the general behaviour and attitude of the bureaucracy towards the elected members,” the MNA deplored, and said the privilege of the entire house had been breached as a result.
Though Abdus Sattar Lalika said he would not oppose the motion, he would want the member not to push Mr Lalika said he would arrange a meeting of the bank chairman with the member over a cup of tea, so that the former could explain his position.
The minister said he did not want to contest the motion since the member was aggrieved by the behaviour of the bank chairman, but there were two ways of reprimanding the officer.
“I have no objection if the motion is referred to the committee, but I assure the member that the chairman will be summoned at my chamber for an explanation before him,” he said.
The member, however, agitated that his privilege motion should be referred to the privileges committee after discussion as the attitude of the chairman was not at all acceptable. He said he went there to discuss the problems of his constituents and not of his own.
Dr Sher Afgan supported the member, saying the question of privilege could not be disposed of as such motions were the property of the house. “It is the job of the speaker to decide about the fate of the motion,” he said.
He also insisted that the motion should be admitted and referred to the privileges committee since it concerned with the writ and authority of parliament.
However, on Mr Lalika’s repeated requests, the member agreed for deferment of the motion for a day. In the meantime, he will meet the bank chief at the minister’s chamber. The speaker then deferred the motion for a day.
Ijaz Ahmad Jhakrani of People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP), through another motion, lamented that an officer of Qasr-i-Naz humiliated him when he asked for the provision of a room for his visiting guest.
