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| November 11, 2005 | Friday | Shawwal 8, 1426 |
Senators plan to grill govt on relief issue
ISLAMABAD, Nov 10: The Senate is likely to take up a number of issues relating to the October 8 earthquake disaster in its session starting on Friday, sources told Dawn here on Thursday.
Opposition senators have already submitted a number of adjournment motions and calling-attention notices on various issues in an effort to “expose inefficiency of the government and army in carrying out rescue and relief operations in the earthquake-battered areas of Azad Kashmir and the NWFP,” the sources added.
Aside from the earthquake issue, People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar has also moved motions and notices seeking debate on the sale of over 17 acres of prime land by the Military Lands and Cantonment Department in Karachi and on the purchase of six radar-fitted Saab 2000 aircraft.
According to the sources, opposition members would press chairman of Senate Mohammadmian Soomro to hold a debate on the establishment and functioning of the Earthquake Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (ERRA).
“ERRA has been given blanket powers to make contract appointments of defence personnel and total and absolute indemnity from any suit, prosecution and legal proceedings in respect of anything done by the authority’s officers, advisers and functionaries,” says a calling-attention notice moved by an opposition senator.
Another adjournment motion moved by Opposition Leader Raza Rabbani and Farhatullah Babar is aimed at discussing reports that girls and boys orphaned in the October 8 earthquake are being sought by gangs to turn them into street beggars and prostitutes.
Opposition senators have also submitted adjournment motions seeking a discussion on the presence of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) troops in the country.
“The decision taken without reference to parliament is silent on vital issues concerning the (Nato forces’) command, scope, duration, etc., and raises serious questions of sovereignty of the state, and the ability of own armed forces to undertake the task,” says one of the motions.
Through an adjournment motion moved on Thursday, Mr Babar said advertisements had appeared in newspapers on November 9 on behalf of the Military Lands and Cantonment Department for the sale of prime commercial lands measuring over 17 acres on two locations in Karachi, namely M.A. Jinnah Road and between Zoo and Makki Masjid. In the motion, Mr Babar has asked whether the land belonged to the Ministry of Defence or to the Sindh government.
“The market value of these lands located in Karachi’s busiest areas is worth several billions and its sale raises serious questions some of which are: whether the defence ministry is competent to sell it; whether the sale proceeds will be deposited in the federal consolidated fund; the purpose on which the sale proceeds will be spent; and most importantly whether it is right and proper for the defence ministry to get involved in the sale and purchase of lands and the impact of such an activity on the defence preparedness itself,” asks Mr Babar in his motion.
He has also sought discussion on the reported deal for the purchase of Saab aircraft. “The finalization of the Saab deal was first disclosed by a foreign newspaper (Swedish daily Aftenbladet) rather than by the Pakistan government, raising questions of public importance concerning propriety and transparency in the deal,” reads the notice.
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