August 11, 2006	Friday	Rajab 15, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 10: The combined opposition in the Senate on Thursday exploited the detailed judgment of the Supreme Court in the Pakistan Steel Mills privatisation case to intensify its criticism of the government on various issues, including the increase in sugar and cement prices and the stock market crash.

Leader of the Opposition Mian Raza Rabbani, speaking a point of order, said the prime minister should have resigned as soon as the apex court had announced a short order.

The treasury members said the government was ready to discuss the verdict but rejected opposition’s demands that the prime minister or any minister should resign.

Mr Rabbani accused the government of being ‘thoroughly corrupt’ and held the prime minister responsible for a deal made in ‘indecent haste’. He said the government was already involved in the sugar, stock exchange, cement and black cab scams and now the PSM case had been added to that list.

He said if the National Accountability Bureau was not meant for the opposition’s accountability alone, then the nation would like to see what inquiry and action it took against irregularities committed in the PSM privatisation deal.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan Niazi said there was nothing in the Supreme Court judgment to suggest anyone was involved in corrupt practices.

He said the court had not declared the privatisation deal ultra vires of the Constitution and as such the opposition’s claim that corruption was involved in the deal did not hold ground.

Leader of the House Wasim Sajjad said the treasury was ready to take up the opposition’s motion under Rule 194 by suspending rules to enable the house to hold a thorough debate on the PSM deal.

Maulana Rahat Hussain of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal raised a case of extortion of Rs3 million by a government official in a visa scandal while the complainant ran from pillar to post for justice. Yet, he said, the complainant was asked to pay Rs500,000 and 15 per cent of the refundable money in gratification to get his money refunded.

Prof Khursheed Ahmed (MMA), through an adjournment motion, spoke on the issue of trade of human organs. Health Minister Naseer Khan informed the house that certain lobbies, including some members of parliament, had been creating hurdles in a legislation aimed at curbing the trade.

He, however, said the draft law had been vetted by the law ministry and it was ready for the cabinet’s approval after which it would be tabled in the house.

Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said three culprits had been arrested for their involvement in the suicide attack killing Allama Hasan Turabi in Karachi. He was responding to an adjournment motion sought to be moved by Prof Ibrahim of the MMA.

Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar informed the house that only $1.8 billion were pledged as grants at the donors’ conference for rehabilitation of the earthquake areas, out of a total of $6.8 billion, adding that $4.4 billion were pledged as loans.