April 11, 2006	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 12, 1427

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QUETTA, April 10: Senior Minister Maulana Wasay and opposition members of the Balochistan assembly on Monday held ministers belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League responsible for the problem of quorum because of which important agenda items could not be discussed in the house.

The house fell short of quorum thrice during the question hour, after which Deputy Speaker Mir Aslam Bhootani adjourned the proceedings till Thursday.

The lack of quorum was pointed out by Health Minister Hafiz Hamadullah, following by Population Planning Minister Nasreen Khetran and Rubina Irfan members of the opposition, who wanted to table an adjournment motion on the siege of the Mengal House in Karachi.

The senior minister also expressed resentment over the adjournment of the house as the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal wanted to present a resolution against occupation of land of tribes in the suburbs of the provincial capital by the army and air force.

Opposition legislators and the senior minister, at separate press conferences after the session, criticised PML ministers and members who, they alleged, did not attend the proceedings despite being present in the assembly building.

Leader of the opposition in the assembly Kachkol Ali, Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal of the Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Mir Saleem Khoso of the Jamhoori Watan Party and Shafique Ahmed Khan of the People’s Party Parliamentarians, said the government, particularly the PML ministers, were least interested in peaceful resolution of Balochistan’s issues.

They alleged that the chief minister’s press secretary had asked the ministers to point out lack of quorum and leave the house. They also alleged that forces which controlled the government had sidelined the Sindh chief minister, who wanted to resolve the issue of the Mengal House siege.

At his press conference, Maulana Wasay said that legislators abstaining themselves from the proceedings was not in the interest of the assembly.

He said the army had not taken the government or the revenue minister into confidence before occupying the land of Kasi, Bazai and Shahwani tribes.