RAWALPINDI: Disparity in Central services and slow progress on the Second Capital at Dacca generated some heat in the otherwise tame proceedings when the National Assembly took up the demands for grant in respect of the new expenditure today [June 25]. Khwaja Shahabuddin, Minister for Information, and Kazi Anwarul Huq, Education Minister, had to bear the brunt of today’s debate as they explained the Government’s policy both on parity and the Second Capital.

Khwaja Shahabuddin asked the [members] not to take an emotional approach to the issue of parity. The Government, he said, was quite conscious of the problem and everything humanly possible was being done to bring about parity not only in services but also in all other spheres. The greatest security for the success of the efforts directed towards achieving parity, Khwaja Sahib said, was President Ayub himself.

[Meanwhile, as reported from Lahore] a resolution adopted unanimously at a meeting of the All-Pakistan Inter-Collegiate Body appealed to the Revolutionary Council of Algeria to spare the life of the former President of Algeria, Mr Ben Bella, in recognition of his contribution to the Algerian struggle for independence. The resolution also urged the President and the Government of Pakistan to reconsider their decision not to attend the second Afro-Asian Conference at Algiers.

The meeting, held at the Punjab University cafeteria, expressed the view that the imperialist and colonialist Powers, including India, were trying for the failure of the conference.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2015

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