April 20, 2006	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 21, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, April 19: Members of the seven Senate standing committees on Wednesday unanimously elected their respective chairpersons, all belonging to the ruling coalition.

The opposition parties, which had decided to stay away from the previous elections of the standing committees held three years ago, not only participated in the process but its members also proposed and seconded the names of the government-backed candidates for the office of the chairpersons.

According to the Senate Secretariat handout, Nisar Ahmed Memon was unanimously re-elected as chairman of the Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production. Interestingly, Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) seconded the name of Mr Memon with chief whip of the ruling party, Kamil Ali Agha, for the post.

It may be mentioned that the opposition members, including Sardar Mahtab Abbasi, had been criticizing Mr Memon’s role as the chairman of the committee and they had even boycotted the last meeting in which the defence committee reversed its earlier decision and recommended the purchase of F-16s and VVIP aircraft.

Similarly, two opposition senators, Prof Sajid Mir of the PML-N and Maulvi Agha Mohammad of the MMA, seconded the name of Razina Alam Khan for the office of the chairperson of the standing committee on education and science and technology. Her name had been proposed by S.M. Zafar.

Kamil Ali Agha was unanimously elected as chairman of the standing committee on communications and railways, and his name was proposed by another opposition senator, Dr Ismail Buledi of the MMA.

Senator Ahmed Ali of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) was elected as the chairman of the standing committee on finance and revenue and economic affairs and statistics and his name was seconded by MMA senator Hafiz Abdul Malik Qadri with other senators from the ruling party.

Senator Mushahid Hussain was re-elected as chairman of the standing committee on foreign affairs and Kashmir affairs and Northern Areas.

Senator Syed Dilawar Abbas was elected chairman of the standing committee on petroleum and natural resources while Hafiz Abdul Malik Qadri took over the standing committee on water and power.

On Thursday, the members of the committees on planning and development and population welfare; law, justice, human rights and parliamentary affairs; religious affairs and Zakat and Ushr and minorities affairs; food, agriculture and livestock; culture, sports and youth affairs and tourism and labour, manpower and overseas Pakistanis will elect their chairpersons.