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| October 28, 2005 | Friday | Ramzan 23, 1426 |
Reserve police control Wadh, assembly told
QUETTA, Oct 27: Armed men in Wadh have withdrawn to the positions held by them before the Oct 18 incident, Balochistan Reserve Police have taken control of the area and those involved in attack on the home of Pakistan Oppressed Nations’ Movement chief Sardar Ataullah Mengal will not enter Wadh Bazaar till the settlement of the matter.
Chairman of the assembly’s committee on the issue, Senior Minister Maulana Abdul Wasay, told the house on Thursday that leaders of the rival groups, Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Mir Shafiqur Rehman Mengal, had agreed to resolve the dispute peacefully in accordance with Baloch and Pukhtun traditions and Islamic principles.
He said the property dispute between the factions would be settled by the committee in six weeks.
He said 70 people affiliated with Shafiqur Rehman’s group involved in firing rockets on Ataullah Mengal’s house would not enter Wadh Bazaar till the resolution of the dispute.
The minister said the issue of the attack would be resolved through conciliation keeping in view the tribal code. He said local traditions did not allow attacks on houses of tribal elders.
He said that the committee during its visit to the area had seen that rockets fired by the attackers had damaged rooms in the house, which was condemnable.
Maulana Wasay said the parliamentary committee had succeeded because both Sardar Akhtar and Shafiqur Rehman fully cooperated with it.
Leader of the opposition in the assembly Kachkol Ali Baloch clarified on a point of order that Akhtar Mengal had said that the issue of the attack would be placed before the elders’ jirga of Mengal tribe as attack on a sardar’s home was tantamount to targeting the entire tribe.
The house unanimously adopted a resolution of the opposition leader demanding that the general sale tax levied on Sui gas should be paid to Balochistan.
An adjournment motion tabled by opposition members and supported by treasury benches pertaining to incidents of kidnapping for ransom in Gwadar, Panjgur and Turbat districts was admitted for general discussion. The house adopted a resolution of Kachkol Ali demanding payment of dues of Balochistan by the centre so that the provincial government could avoid overdraft from the State Bank. The opposition leader said Rs600 billion of Balochistan was outstanding against the federal government under different heads and the amount should be paid to the province for development plans.
The assembly approved with amendment a resolution of Sardar Azam Musakhel asking the provincial government to enhance the annual grants of Musakhel and Panjgur public libraries from Rs40,000 to Rs500,000.
While deferring a resolution of Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal, Speaker Jamal Shah Kakar assured the house that the National Highway Authority, Balochistan, chief would be called to his chamber to discuss the reservations of some members regarding use of substandard materials in construction of roads in the province.
Health Minister Hafiz Hamadullah tabled the report of the special committee of the assembly regarding the revival of the old status of Sibi. The speaker said the department concerned should implement the recommendations of the committee.
The excise and taxation minister informed the house during the question hour that the current provincial government had issued no liquor licence. The health minister claimed that the chief minister during formation of the coalition government with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal had cancelled all old licences.
Opposition members claimed that permits for liquor sale had been issued and wine was openly being sold in Patelbagh area. The minister said the issue was pending before a court and the government would accept its verdict.
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