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| November 14, 2005 | Monday | Shawwal 11, 1426 |
Women MPs want defence budget reduced
ISLAMABAD, Nov 13: Women parliamentarians from ruling and opposition parties on Sunday emphasized the need for setting up a disaster management system and sought greater role for women MPs in it.
They also called for cut in military and non-developmental spendings and allocation of substantial funds for rehabilitation of health and education infrastructure in quake-stricken areas.
In a national consultation meeting on “Disaster Management: Rehabilitation of Women and Child”, organized by a non-government organization, Aurat Foundation, they called for a monitoring system for distribution of relief assistance in a transparent manner.
Women members of provincial assemblies (MPAs) from the four provinces also attended the meeting to chalk out a strategy for coping with natural calamities in future.
Mehnaz Rafi of the ruling Muslim League (PML) asked the opposition to avoid criticising the government.
About the upcoming donors conference scheduled for Nov 19, she said the donors would be asked a adopt quake-hit city, schools or villages rather than giving cash.
People’s Party Parliamentarian’s Sherry Rehman criticised the role of army in the relief and rehabilitation work.
She also opposed the shifting of GHQ to Islamabad as according to her the capital is situated on fault-line.
MNA Rehman said the government was still confused about the rehabilitation work as it has not yet presented the actual estimate in the parliament.
She asked the government to cut non-developmental budget and divert funds for the revival of health and education sector in the quake-hit areas.
Punjab’s Minister for Special Education, Qudsia Lodhi in her paper said that “few cases of sexual assault on women in the quake-hit areas were a matter of concern for us”.
The minister also observed that some banned outfits were barring women volunteers not to visit the affected people with naked faces.
She urged the security agencies to monitor such groups as they were threat to the relief activities.
Ms Lodhi disclosed that over 83 countries would participate in the donors conference and urged the opposition parties to avoid criticising the government as it would lead to a poor response from the donors.
Senator Nighat Mirza of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) emphasised the participation of women parliamentarians in the donors conference as the women and children were the most-affected in the quake.
MPA Rubina Irfan from Balochistan proposed a ban on high-rise buildings on fault-line zones adding that Gwadar Port was also situated on one of the most dangerous volcanic plate.
She said according to the geological survey, Quetta city was also lying on the fault lines.
Ms Irfan criticised the government for conducting nuclear tests at Chaghi claiming that the local people have been suffering from cancer and other diseases.
“You can not drink the water of Chaghi, people are shifting from the place therefore, the government must compensate the people,” she added.
She also urged the international community to write off the loans of Pakistan and donate more for the quake survivors.
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