August 16, 2007	Thursday	Sha’aban 2, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Aug 15: Opposition members in the Senate on Wednesday referred to press reports about some family members of the Quaid-i-Azam living in dire poverty in one of the most neglected localities of Karachi.

Responding to a call-attention notice jointly moved by Envar Baig, Mian Raza Rabbani, Sardar Latif Khosa and Prof Khurshid Ahmed about the miserable life of Quaid’s granddaughter in Karachi, the government informed the house that it had taken serious notice of the reports and directed the Sindh government to take immediate steps to help restore the respect of Quaid’s family members.

Envar Baig of the PPP said that if the government did not come up with a viable plan to help the Quaid’s family by Sept 1, he would volunteer Rs10,000 per month from his salary to the family as long as he was a senator.

He said the photo of Quaid’s granddaughter appeared in an English daily on August 7 spoke volumes about government’s apathy towards the Quaid and his family.

“If the army of ministers can be provided with bullet-proof cars worth millions of rupees, why can’t members of the Quaid family be provided with a respectable living,” he asked.

He said he had met Aslam Jinnah, another member of the the family, who was also in the most distressing condition and was even unable to pay conveyance of his wife to take her to hospital.

He alleged that Rs7.4 million had been allocated for presidential gardens and the prime minister spent Rs3 million on sterilisation machine of his shaving kit.