August 27, 2003	Wednesday	Jumadi-us-Sani 28, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 26: National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain directed the ruling party’s whip on Tuesday to bring the matter of continued absence of ministers from the lower house sessions into the prime minister’s notice.

“It is a sad reflection on the part of the cabinet members if nobody is here to answer the issues raised by the members,” the speaker said after noticing that neither Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar nor the parliamentary secretary for his ministry were present in the house to respond to a call attention notice.

Three ruling coalition members — Sher Akbar Khan, Chaudhry Anwar Ali Cheema and Malik Amin Aslam Khan — had moved a notice regarding non-purchase of tobacco in Buner by tobacco companies because of imposition of Rs100 per maund Sales Tax.

The situation had caused concern among the growers, forcing them to stage protests, the mover said in their motion and demanded an immediate withdrawal of the cess.

“The relevant minister is supposed to be here and in case of his absence, it is the responsibility of the cabinet colleagues to reply on his behalf because the cabinet is responsible before the National Assembly,” the speaker said.

“This indifference on the part of the ministers will not be tolerated in future,” he said.

This is the third occasion during the current session of the National Assembly when the speaker has asked the ministers to attend the proceedings of the lower house.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, chief whip and Labour and Manpower Minister Abdul Sattar Laleka requested the chair to defer the call attention notice till Friday since the commerce minister was not in the house and the matter pertaining to tobacco did not come under the ministry of food and agriculture.

At this, the speaker reminded the minister that the call attention notices were always moved on matters of urgent importance and, therefore, could not be deferred.

Mr Laleka assured the house that procurement of tobacco had been started and would continue unhindered.

He promised to summon the commerce ministry officials to satisfy the complaining members about the situation. However, the movers complained that the notice was given in advance and the relevant minister should have been here.

Earlier, the speaker referred two privilege motions to the house privileges committee concerning alleged rude attitude of the regional manager of Zari Taraqiati Bank Limited, Multan, and appointment of non-locals in the Nadra office in District Buner.

The privilege motions were moved by Nawab Amanullah Khan and Sher Akbar Khan, respectively.

Discussion on a resolution moved by 32 members of the house also remained inconclusive in which the government was asked to take steps to provide offices and essential staff to each member of the National Assembly both at Islamabad and in his constituency.

The absence of such secretarial support was hampering the performance of the members who could not concentrate on their real job of legislation, the members said in their speeches.