Balochistan PA calls for writing off bank loans

Published October 10, 2013
Speaker Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali presiding over the session of Balochistan Assembly.— Photo by Online
Speaker Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali presiding over the session of Balochistan Assembly.— Photo by Online

QUETTA: Balochistan Assembly has adopted a resolution demanding of the federal government to write off bank loans obtained by farmers in the province and formed a parliamentary committee to hold talks with the federal finance minister on the matter.

The house unanimously converted the adjournment motion moved by Obaidullah Babat into a resolution which demanded of the federal government to waive the loans granted to the farmers by the Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP).

Speaker Mir Jan Muhammad Jamali chaired the assembly session here on Wednesday night.

Speaking during a general discussion on the motion the lawmakers claimed that the agriculturists had taken the loan ten years back and the governments of retired General Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had waived the loans of different districts because of long spell of drought but the decisions of the two governments were not implemented. Now the banking court had issued arrest warrants against many farmers.

The farmers, they said, were unable to repay loans and demanded of the federal government to waive them. The members demanded that the arrest warrants issued by the banking courts against the concerned farmers be withdrawn and expressed their dismay over the victimisation policy of the bank management.

The members approved the formation of a parliamentary committee consisting of the treasury and opposition members which would meet Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and discuss the matter.

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