QUETTA: The Baloch­istan Assembly witnessed uproar on Monday when the demand of the opposition members for formation of a house committee for reviewing the current Public Sector Development Progra­mme (PSDP) was rejected by members on the treasury benches who were of the view that there was no need of such a committee.

Harsh words were exchanged between some members over remarks of a minister about members representing minority communities.

Read: Eight months in, how is Balochistan faring?

A minority member, Sham Lal of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl stro­ngly protested over the remarks of the minister and said that he belonged to the Hindu community, but he was very much a Pakistani.

A heated debate continued for some time during which members from both sides exchanged harsh words.

Later, Minister for Revenue Saleem Ahmed Khosa apologised to members on behalf of whole house. The issue was resolved and Speaker Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo omitted objectionable remarks from the assembly proceeding.

Opposition and treasury members exchange harsh words

The session which was requisitioned by the opposition started two-and-half hours late from its scheduled time.

Former chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani said that he and other opposition members were repeatedly demanding formation of a house committee for reviewing the PSDP on which the opposition parties had been expressing their reservations since the first assembly’s session.

He urged the speaker to form the committee comprising opposition and treasury members so that it could review development schemes in the current PSPD. “If speaker did not want to form such a committee he should clearly announce in the house that he cannot form this committee,” he added.

Mr Raisani protested over the chief minister’s remarks that by raising the issue of the PSDP the opposition was doing the politics of opportunism.

He said the chief minister should give an explanation to the house over his remarks. He said the leader of house should not have used such remarks.

On this Speaker Bizenjo asked Mr Raisani to bring a privilege motion for making the statement of the chief minister a property of the assembly.

Minister for Information and Social welfare Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetiran opposed the demand of the opposition members, saying that despite the government’s repeated assurance Mr Raisani and Leader of the Opposition Advocate Malik Sikander Khan were raising the issue of PSDP.

On Mr Khetiran’s remarks some members stood up and started speaking and Raisani along with some other members staged a walked out from the house.

The opposition leader also spoke at length on the PSDP issue and announced that the opposition would continue its protest until the issue was not resolved according to its demand.

During discussion on the PSDP, opposition member Nasarullah Zerey said that the government had failed to deliver relief to the people. He claimed that Rs22 million share of Balochistan in the federal PSDP had been slashed.

Mir Akhtar Hussain Langove and Mir Akbar Mengal said development projects for Balochistan had not been receiving funds for the past eight months.

The people of Balochistan were being deprived of basic civic amenities of life. There would be no compromise on the rights of the province’s people.

Younis Aziz Zehri claimed that 161 schools were closed in the province.

Health Minister Balochistan Mir Nasibullah Marri said that almost 18 trauma centres were being established on highways of Balochistan. Doctors for public hospitals are being appointed. Better health facilities will be provided to people in remote areas. He said violence against doctors must be condemned, but the government could not provide security to all clinics.

Published in Dawn, April 09th, 2019