October 05, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 22, 1428

PESHAWAR, Oct 4: Lawmakers on Thursday condemned the government for use of force against journalists and lawyers through a unanimous resolution in the provincial assembly and termed September 29 as ‘the darkest day in the history of Pakistan’.

People’s Party Parliamentarians representative Abdul Akbar Khan had tabled the joint resolution in the house, signed also by Shahzada Gustasap Khan, Sikandar Sherpao, Muktiar Khan and Amanat Shah.

Mr Gustasap said there was ‘police Raj’ in Islamabad on September 29 and regretted the crackdown on journalists and lawyers outside the Election Commission of Pakistan that left many people wounded. He condemned the baton charge on mediapersons near the Governor’s House in Peshawar on the same day and held the Muttahidda Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) government responsible for it. He claimed that the frustrated rulers were taking harsh measures to gag the press.

Pakistan Muslim League (N)’s Anwar Kamal Khan said that on one hand the military regime was claiming it had given freedom to the media while on the other it was thrashing journalists and senior lawyers. He said the government would not be successful in chaining the press.

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Malik Zafar Azam Khan said it was about time that President Gen Pervez Musharraf gave up power for good. He accused the general of turning the country into a huge prison.

PML (Q) MPA Nighat Orakzai accused the MMA government of nurturing a docile press in the NWFP.

Leader of Opposition Shahzada Gustasap claimed that democracy could not flourish without a free press.

Mr Sherpao blamed the NWFP government for the police action against journalists in Peshawar.

Minister for Local Government Sardar Idress, Tehrik-i-Insaf’s Mian Nisar Gul and MMA’s Amant Shah also criticised the police action.

On a point of order, MPA Qazi Mohammad Asad Khan invited the attention of the house to non-payment of compensation to cabin-owners in Haripur’s Sabzi Mandi. He said that over 200 cabins were set on fire by unidentified attackers at the old vegetable market a year back.

He said that Minister for Information Asif Iqbal had assured the house on July 2, 2007, that he would ask the local government to do something in this regard, but nothing was done.

The lawmakers adopted five more resolutions on various issues.

MPA Mian Nadir Shah urged the government to make alternative arrangements for 500 students of North Waziristan at educational institutions in settled districts. He said the students in the conflict zone had been unable to attend their institutions for the last six months. The resolution was adopted unanimously.

The other resolutions passed unanimously called for establishment of a university in Mardan, payment of pension through all banks instead of a specific bank, establishment of circuit benches of the Public Services Commission in Abbottabad, Bannu and Swat, and payment of royalty to forest owners in Kohistan- Swat.

The speaker adjourned the session till Friday.