August 09, 2007	Thursday	Rajab 24, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Aug 8: The National Assembly on Wednesday witnessed two walkouts, one by members of the ruling coalition partner Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the other by the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) in protest against the ongoing power crisis in Karachi and the decision to increase KESC’s tariff.

The issue was first raised by Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi of the MQM while speaking on a point of order at a time when the members were holding a debate on the country’s foreign policy.

Interestingly, the members of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) who had been raising the issues of the power crisis in Karachi and privatisation of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) did not join the walkouts. It has been observed since the start of the present session of the assembly that the PPP members are not staging any walkout and political experts believe that this is part of the ongoing confidence-building measures between the party and the regime.

Mr Rizvi said the people of Karachi had been suffering from trauma due to the ongoing power crisis which had already caused loss of billions of rupees to the industrialists and traders. On the other hand, he said, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) had allowed an increase of 29 paisas per unit in the KESC’s tariff.

Mr Rizvi and other MQM members staged a token walkout for five minutes against increase in the power rates. MMA legislators from Karachi Qari Gul Rehman and Mohammad Hussain Mehnati joined them.

Later, speaking on a point of order, Bilqees Saif of the MMA again raised the issue of the power crisis and load-shedding in Karachi.

She also announced that the MMA members would stage a token walkout to protest against the worsening power situation in Karachi. All the members of the MMA staged the walkout, but Maulana Asadullah Bhutto, who also belongs to Karachi, and Maulana Mohammad Khan Shirani did not join them.

Earlier, through a call-attention notice, Syed Haider Abbas Rizvi drew the attention of the house towards the transfer of 100 low-paid employees of the archaeology department from Karachi to Islamabad which, he said, had caused a grave concern amongst the public and the employees.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan told the house that 44 employees had been transferred to Islamabad and not 100. He said the transfers had been made due to the shifting of the department from Karachi to the federal capital.