ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: The government faced harsh criticism in the Senate on Thursday mainly from opposition benches over the deteriorating law and order, the Balochistan situation and the prevailing sugar crisis.
No one from the ruling coalition responded to any of the points raised by the senators on issues such as recent sectarian killings, violence during protests against blasphemous cartoons and Wednesday’s murder of three Chinese engineers.
Speaking on points of order, opposition senators voiced their concern over the issues before the house was prorogued after a 16-day session.
Aslam Buledi of the Balochistan National Movement alleged that a military operation was under way in Balochistan, where, he said, women and children were being targeted by cluster bombs.
He said even chemical gas was being used in Balochistan because people there opposed what he called an “anti-people army general”.
Mr Buledi said the government was giving a wrong impression that the Balochistan situation was due to wrong actions of some sardars while actually the whole Baloch nation was struggling for its rights.
The BNM senator, who is retiring from the Senate on completion of a three-year term on March 11, said he was happy his name would not be written among those “national criminals” who had passed the “notorious 17th (constitutional) Amendment” that supported “Legal Framework Order of a general”.
Senator Mohim Khan Baloch of the Balochistan National Party (Awami) condemned the killing of Chinese engineers working at a cement factory in Hub, in what he called a terrorist attack.
He said there were political differences in the country over the execution of the Gwadar Port project but Chinese should not be targeted as they were engaged in constructive work in Pakistan.
He called for review of the government’s Balochistan policy before the situation went out of control.
Prof Ghafoor Ahmed of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal said the government was using force in Balochistan while every one was demanding that the issue should be resolved through dialogue.
He said the situation had also begun to hit the people of Punjab because of attacks on pipelines taking gas to the province from Balochistan.
Safdar Abbasi of the People’s Party Parliamentarians said the poor law and order situation had proved that there was no writ of the government in any part of the country. He said the government always blamed ‘miscreants’ and some ‘hidden hands’ in terrorist incidents but failed to expose those hands.
Mohammad Abbas Kumaili of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement said Hangu was still tense after violence during the Ashura procession and markets were closed causing shortage of foodstuff.
He termed Hangu a sensitive area and said special security measures should have been taken there for Ashura. Instead, he said, security was relaxed there on the 7th of Muharram and people were left on the mercy of attackers and terrorists.
The senator alleged that Afghan refugees living in the Orakzai Agency had attacked innocent people of Hangu.
Senator Syed Mohammad Hussain from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas said the government had not arrested any person involved in the Hangu killings. He urged the government to declare the town a calamity-hit area. He said violence was still taking place in Hangu.
Leader of the opposition in the house Raza Rabbani, speaking on a point of order, criticized the government over the sugar crisis and said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was not taking interest in the matter as it involved the ruling elite.
He regretted that the prime minister did not come to the Senate to make a statement on the crisis despite assurances given by the leader of the house. “The prime minister does not want to say anything as he is protecting the interests of big business and sugar mill owners,” he said.
Mr Rabbani alleged that ministers owning sugar mills were only interested in protecting their business interests.
He cited a news report which quoted the prime minister as telling a delegation of importers that the government would not let sugar prices fall to a level where their reasonable profit could be eroded .
