ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: The People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) on Friday announced to boycott the post-question-hour session in the Senate in protest against what they termed poll rigging and arrests of party workers during the Feb 10 by-poll in Karachi.
The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and nationalist parties also staged a token walkout in solidarity with the PPP.
The upper house proceedings, which had started more than an hour late, lasted only half an hour before it was adjourned by Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro.
Earlier, the government admitted during the question-hour that the induction of employees of various categories in the foreign missions in Gulf countries, Iran and the UK was not proportionate with the provincial quota and assured the lawmakers from Balochistan that the Foreign Office was ready to rectify any ‘glaring discrepancy’.
Before leading the party’s senators out of the upper house, leader of the opposition and PPP’s deputy secretary-general Mian Raza Rabbani said that although the combined opposition had agreed to go along with the treasury benches’ initiative to convert the sitting into a pre-budget session to discuss budgetary proposals, the emerging situation had made it difficult for the PPP to sit idle until its detained workers were freed, the people responsible for attacks on party leaders and electoral manipulation were held and an inquiry into Kotri incident was ordered.
The MMA also demanded the release of all political prisoners, including Akhtar Mengal, Rauf Mengal and brother of Senator Sanaullah Babar.
Expressing dismay over the development, Minister of State for Interior Zafar Iqbal Warriach said that the issues on which the PPP had boycotted the session pertained to the provincial government.
PML secretary-general Senator Mushahid Hussain promised that an inquiry into the Kotri incident would be launched and he would come back to the house with whatever progress achieved on this issue on Monday.
Talking about the incident of attack on PPP’s information secretary Sherry Rahman, Mr Hussain said that he had talked to her and she had agreed to register an FIR against the unknown lady. He claimed that the government had never intended to manipulate by-elections.
Anwar Bhinder, a treasury lawmaker who had initiated the idea of holding pre-budget session, regretted PPP’s decision and said that the protest could have been registered while taking part in the proceedings.
Treasury lawmaker Ms Kulsoom invited the attention of the Senate chairman towards the plight of sacked teachers of the Overseas Pakistani Foundation educational institutions, who had been on a strike for the last one week, and no government official had come up to ensure them justice.