March 17, 2007	Saturday	Safar 27, 1428

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QUETTA, March 16: The Balochistan Assembly in a resolution adopted on Friday urged the federal government to write off agricultural loans in the entire province, and not just in Zhob and Kalat districts.

The resolution, tabled by Minister of Agriculture Maulana Faiz Mohammad, said that during his recent visit to Zhob, the president had announced that loans of up to Rs500,000 given to growers in the two districts would be written off. It said the concession should be extended to all farmers.

Members of the opposition twice staged token walkouts. The first walkout came when the opposition members were not allowed by Speaker Jamal Shah Kakar to speak on the suspension of the Chief Justice and a federal minister’s remarks against a journalist and the second walkout was staged in protest against the ransacking by police of the offices of a TV channel in Islamabad.

In another resolution moved by Maulana Faiz, the assembly urged the president and the prime minister to provide 200 bulldozers to Balochistan, which they had announced during their visits to the province.

The third resolution adopted by the assembly demanded that the facility of operating bulldozers for two hours given to members should be continued after completion of the assembly tenure.

The speaker directed the minister to present a bill in the next session on the matter to give it legal cover and so the facility could be continued.

The assembly rejected a resolution moved by Minister Maulvi Abdur Rahim Bazai demanding that the federal government should lift the ban on Al Rashid and Al Akhtar trusts.

The speaker admitted an adjournment motion of opposition leader Kachkol Baloch relating to the financial crisis in Balochistan.

He referred to the standing committee a privilege motion moved by a minority member of the treasury bench, Francis Ambrose, accusing police officials of insulting him while checking his vehicle on the night of March 14 in the Shahbaz town. The speaker sought a report on the matter.

The treasury bench could not table the Balochistan Public Procurement Regulatory Authority Bill, 2007, for lack of quorum.

The session was adjourned till March 19.