QUETTA, May 16: The home minister has informed the provincial assembly that the government is planning to launch a drive against outlaws who have been involved in heinous crimes on the Quetta-Chaman highway, near Qila Abdullah. However, an opposition member alleged that the government was not sincere in action against anti-social elements.
Members of National Party Rehmat Ali Baloch, Mir Jan Buledi and Dr. Shama Ishaq staged a walkout from the house to protest against police’s refusal to allow BSO activists to stage a demonstration in front of the main gate of the assembly.
Speaker Jamal Shah Kakar chaired the session.
Home Minister Mir Shoiab Nausherwani, speaking on the admissibility of a joint adjournment motion tabled by Sardar Azam Musakhel (PMAP), assured the members that on the directives of chief minister that law-enforcement agencies would eliminate criminal dens in the Piralizai jungle to provide security to citizens.
He claimed that two accused involved in the killing of a cousin of the Zarghoon town Nazim had been arrested and the government would act against the hardened criminals to restore order in the troubled area.
Abdur Rahim Ziaratwal, co-mover, said that he was not satisfied with the assurance and maintained that the Federal Intelligence Agency was behind criminals who were snatching vehicles during broad daylight from people near the Piralizai jungle. However, the chair disposed of the motion.
The chair rejected another joint adjournment motion of PMAP members related to police manhandling Ponam workers in Pishin during a wheel-jam strike on March 31 when a majority of treasury bench members opposed the motion.
However, the speaker admitted the third joint motion tabled by PMAP members when treasury bench members, including Senior Minister Maulana Wasay, backed it.
The movers opposed the transferring of Residential College Ziarat to a private trust and a debate on the motion would be held on Thursday.
The house adopted the verbal resolution moved by Senior Minister Maulana Wasay praising the federal government’s decision to elevate senior judge of Supreme Court Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the new Chief Justice. He said that this step of the government indicated that step by step all the grievances of Balochistan were being removed.
Deputy Speaker Mir Aslam Bhootani asserted that credit goes to President Musharraf who for the first time nominated a prime minister from Balochistan, referring to Mir Zafarullah Jamali, promoted Justice Chaudhry and launched mega projects in the province.
But Mr Ziaratwal opined that implementation of constitutional rights should not be mixed up to admire a particular individual as all institutions and bodies should run according to its constitutional requirements.
The minster for excise and taxation, Mir Amanullah Notezai, tabled the Balochistan motor vehicle taxation (amendment) bill 2005 in the house.
Discussion on the law and order situation could not be completed due to lack of quorum and only Sardar Azam Musakhel, Shafique Ahmed Khan (PPP) and Samina Saeed (MMA) could express their views.
The session was adjourned till Thursday.