November 14, 2006	Tuesday	Shawwal 21, 1427

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QUETTA, Nov 13: Opposition members have criticised treasury bench members for not attending the session intentionally causing quorum problem due to which important resolutions pertaining to the financial crisis in Balochistan, finalisation of new NFC award and autonomy for the federating units could not be adopted.

Opposition members addressed the joint press conference on Monday after the session that could not complete its agenda due to lack of quorum and the deputy speaker, Mohammad Aslam Bhootani, adjourned the session sine die.

Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani (PPP Parliamentarians) and Rehmatullah Baloch of the National Party stated that the Jam-led coalition government was not only corrupt but also failed to address the problems faced by the people.

They claimed that treasury bench members during the Saturday session agreed to turn their adjournment motion related to the financial crisis into a resolution but today the majority of the members from the other side remained absent to sabotage the resolution.

"The joint resolution of the treasury and opposition benches that could not be tabled stated that the province was passing through grave financial problems as the new schemes of two passed PSDP of previous years could not be implemented due to lack of funds. No importance was given to the proposals of the province in the interim NFC award wherein gas development surcharge was still disputable and gas royalty was not paid according to the market prices.

The Balochistan government has dues against the Sindh government of portable water from the Hub dam, besides the federal government neither waived off the province’s dues for development nor has it granted autonomy to the province.

The resolution demanded of the federal government to accept Balochistan's proposal to distribute resources in the NFC on area and backward basis, and the gas development surcharge issue should be settled according to market prices, similarly cash development should be remitted besides ensuring autonomy to the province."

Opposition members asserted that the coalition government totally failed either to get the rights of the province from the centre or to resolve the problems faced by the people, adding that the ministers of PML-Q, MMA and BNP-Awami were involved in corruption.

They said the last four years of the provincial government had been dark years as during this period innocent people were killed in the military operation besides hundreds of political workers were unlawfully put behind bars.

Opposition members said that the federal government’s interest was confined to the Gwadar port as the big claims of Islamabad’s senior officials for launching mega projects was exposed when the senior minister and finance minister confessed in the house that they had no funds to implement current PSDP schemes.

Responding to a query, they said that opposition members played a responsible role in the assembly for pinpointing the problems of the masses and excesses of the government but treasury bench members were not sincere to resolve the problems of the people.MPAs Shafique Ahmed, Sardar Azam Khan Musakhel, Dr Shama Ishaq and Spozmai Bibi were present on the occasion.