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| 20 March 2004 | Saturday | 28 Muharram 1425 |
Opposition walks out on ministers' absence: National Assembly session
ISLAMABAD, March 19: The entire opposition in the National Assembly on Friday staged a token walkout to protest against what they called non-serious behaviour of the cabinet ministers towards the question-hour session.
"We are staging a token walkout from the house against the behaviour of the ministers who after becoming accustomed to the absence of the opposition during its 13-month-long protest seem to have lost touch with their parliamentary obligations," announced PPP chief whip Khurshid Shah while leading the entire opposition, including the MMA, out of the house.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai later pointed out to National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain that out of a total of 36 questions, the answers of 18 were deferred for next rota day, the answers of six were not replied, while four were either transferred to another ministry or their admissibility were being reconsidered.
The opposition members were bitter over the absence of the ministers concerned as well as the parliamentary secretaries to respond to the queries of the members during the early morning question hour session.
The opposition also took exception to what they said the habit of the ministers to provide wrong answers to their questions and they were also unhappy over the inordinate delays caused by the government representatives in providing the answers.
Only on Thursday, National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain had ruled that the lack of interest shown by the cabinet ministers in the lower house proceedings amounted to a contempt of the house.
This is for the fourth consecutive sitting when the issue of the absence of the ministers, or the parliamentary secretaries and inability of other ministers to reply on behalf of the minister concerned had been raised by the opposition.
PPP MNA from Sindh, Syed Navid Qamar, also demanded an explanation from the ruling party as to why it was shy and withholding information regarding details of special funds announced by the prime minister for different underdeveloped areas.
Industries Minister Liaquat Jatoi tried to pacify the opposition and held out an assurance that the government was according proper priority to the development of underdeveloped areas and that the cabinet members "have the highest regard" for the National Assembly.
"We also respect the speaker's directives and rulings but the absence of ministers from the NA could be because they are busy in promoting and supervising development activities", he suggested. He said the ministers sitting in the house were ready to answer to any question of any ministry on a short notice.
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