June 07, 2006	Wednesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 10, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 6: Members of the Democratic Alliance have submitted an adjournment motion to the Senate secretariat seeking a discussion on reports that the Ministry of Defence had demanded Rs1 billion for the rescue and relief services rendered by Pakistan Army in quake-hit areas.

Sources told Dawn that the motion had been signed by Raza Rabbani of People’s Party Parliamentarians, Saadia Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Raza Mohammad Raza of the Pakhtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party, Asfandyar Wali Khan of the Awami National Party and Sanaullah Baloch of the Balochistan National Party.

The motion says that the ministry had reportedly sought Rs1 billion from the Prime Minister’s Secretariat and the finance division “for the services of the Pakistan Army rendered in relief and rehabilitation operations” in the earthquake-affected areas of the NWFP and Azad Kashmir and the issue should be discussed in the upper house.

Meanwhile, five opposition senators, Dr Safdar Abbasi, Enver Baig and Raza Rabbani of the PPP, Ishaq Dar of the PML-N and Asfandyar Wali of the ANP, have submitted an adjournment motion seeking a discussion on the reports that the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was employing foreigners as airhostesses.

Through another motion, sources said, four opposition senators — Dr Babar Awan, Rukhsana Zuberi, Raza Rabbani and Sardar Latif Khosa of the PPP —- have drawn attention of Federal Minister for Defence Rao Sikandar Iqbal to the reports that the International Transport Workers Federation’s boycott of the PIA had entered the third week. “This matter is leading to loss of revenue and tarnishing Pakistan’s image abroad,” the motion says.

The boycott, according to the movers, is in protest against policy of the PIA management not to allow trade union activities.

The sources said the opposition members would press Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro to take up the motions for discussions in the ongoing session of the Senate.