June 23, 2006	Friday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, June 22: “Reply not received” was the answer of more than 51 per cent questions asked by members of the National Assembly during the session on Thursday.

There was no reply given to 16 questions, out of a total of 31 asked by the MNAs related to various ministries, including defence, communications, ports and shipping and law, justice and parliamentary affairs.

Federal Minister for Defence Rao Sikandar Iqbal and Federal Minister for Communications Shamim Siddiqui failed to give replies to seven questions each related to their ministries. Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Wasi Zafar and Federal Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghouri came up with no reply to one question each.

The defence minister did not give replies of three different questions asked by Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) MNA Shabir Ahmed Khan regarding the province-wise number of schools and colleges under the administrative control of the armed forces presently functioning in the country and the new subjects included in the curriculum of these institutions.

Another important question which was not answered by the defence minister was regarding the terms and conditions of lease of B-777 aircraft purchased during the year 2004-05. This question was put by Yasmeen Rehman of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP). She had also sought details of the amount of loan received for the purchase of the aircraft and the names of companies which supplied these aircraft.

The defence minister also did not reply to a question of MMA MNA Syeda Farhana Khalid in which she had asked the minister about the total income and profit earned by the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from international routes during the year 2005-06.

Similarly, Federal Minister for Communications Shamim Siddiqui did not give answer to a question asked by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) MNA Safdar Shakir in which he had asked about the total number and model of vehicles of 1200cc and above purchased by the National Highways Authority (NHA) during the period 2002-05 along with the year-wise expenditure incurred on these aircraft. The MNA had also inquired about the names and designation of the officers presently using these vehicles.

Another important question not answered by the minister was “whether it is a fact that the NHA had allotted plots on lease for petrol pumps and restaurants at main highways of the country, and if so, the number of plots allotted along with their locations, size, terms and conditions for allotment and the period of lease. This question was asked by PML MNA Ali Akbar Vains.