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| June 3, 2005 | Friday | Rabi-us-Sani 25, 1426 |
Development of mining on modern lines stressed
QUETTA, June 2: The Balochistan Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution on developing the mining industry on modern lines and thereby increasing the income of the province. The resolution, moved by opposition members Abdul Rehman Ziaratwal, Abdul Majeed Achakzai and Sardar Azam Musakhel, was passed by the house despite the absence of ruling PML parliamentary party ministers and lawmakers. Chief Minister Jam Mir Mohammad Yousuf was not present in the house.
Several PML ministers and MPAs are staying away from the house in protest against the “discriminatory attitude of the MMA towards its senior coalition partner (PML)” over the approval of development schemes, recruitment in various departments and allocation of funds in PSDP.
On May 30, the PML deputies staged a walkout from the assembly in a public expression of their indignation at remarks allegedly made by a senior minister, Maulana Abdul Wasay, and published in a section of the press. They asked the senior minister to withdraw his remarks and offer an unconditional apology.
The next day they announced they would not attend the assembly session until their demand was accepted. Other PML and MMA ministers and MPAs, however, did attend Thursday’s session.
After the question hour the speaker disposed off two adjournment motions of Mir Shah Zaman Rind and Engineer Basnat Lal Gulshan in their absence.
While moving the resolution about the mining industry, Sardar Azam Musakhel said that although Balochistan was rich in minerals, mine owners there were still using a very old system that posed a constant threat to the lives of mineworkers. By developing the industry on modern lines, he said, the output of Balochistan’s mines could be increased.
The provincial home minister, Shoaib Nausherwani, welcomed the resolution and suggested that it should be made a joint resolution of the treasury and opposition benches.
Samina Saeed of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal then proposed an amendment to the resolution which would provide mineworkers with health and education facilities.
The house voted in favour of the amendment and incorporated it into the resolution it later passed.
The house also adopted another resolution moved by opposition member Akhtar Hussain Lango recommending allotment of official residences on ownership basis to government employees in Wahdat Colony, GRO Colony and Peon Colony.
Finance Minister Syed Ehsan Shah did not oppose the resolution but said that the government would review all technical aspects of this suggestion before taking any decision in this regard.
Opposition member Shafiq Ahmed Khan took back his resolution in which he called for imposition of a ban on scrap business in densely populated areas of Quetta city. He had earlier argued that the ban was necessary because sometimes explosive material also came from Afghanistan in the shape of scrap.
Health Minister Hafiz Hamdullah and opposition members Abdul Majeed Achakzai and Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal opposed the resolution on the grounds that the move would deprive thousands of people of a livelihood.
However, Local Government Minister Hafiz Hussain Ahmed Shoradi and Ms Samina Saeed supported the resolution.
The house told the mover to introduce an amendment into the resolution and call for scrap to be shifted out of the populated areas. The mover however chose to withdraw his resolution. Ms Samina Saeed also withdrew her resolution as the national air carrier had already started flights for Dera Ismail Khan.
The minister for local government called for an investigative report into Hazar Gangi complex, truck, bus stand, and commercial plots. The speaker asked the government to prepare its report within 30 days on the recommendations suggested by a committee that reviewed the earlier report.
The house could not complete debate on the arrest of a BSO leader, Imdad Baloch, and workers, due to lack of quorum. Opposition members Akbar Mengal and Akhtar Hussain Lango were only able to speak on the issue briefly.
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