Malik sticks to 'no Blackwater' mantra

ISLAMABAD – The absence of Ministers once again echoed in National Assembly on Tuesday when the chair admonished Chief Whip Syed Khurshid Shah directing him to bring the Ministers in the House or he would adjourn the proceedings for the day.
The Speaker gave this ruling when Sheren Arshad Khan moved the Islamabad Capital Territory Pre-emption Bill 2010 and neither the Interior Minister or nor the Minister of State was available in the House for response. However, the Parliamentary Secretary Interior said that it was not the job of his Ministry while the Speaker said that it was sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice and it had forwarded it to the Interior Ministry.
Earlier, PML-N MNA Barjees Tahir on a point of order said that it was a Private Member’s Day but no Minister was available to reply or satisfy the legislators. “It is a non-serious attitude. When the House issues the agenda, the Ministers should be prepared. The proceedings should be adjourned till the arrival of Ministers”, he recommended.
Meanwhile, PPP MNA Jamshaid Dasti also criticised the Ministers’ attitude and said that their absence from the National Assembly embarrasses the whole party. They are not taking the proceedings seriously. The Prime Minister should take notice, Dasti asserted.
However, the Speaker said that the Central Executive Committee was meeting today “so you should tell the Prime Minister that what do you feel when Ministers do not available in the House.”
Later, responding to a calling attention notice regarding the presence of Blackwater in NWFP, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that there is no presence of Blackwater in Pakistan and the government, if provided any information in this regard,is ready to take an appropriate action. “Do not consider every one as Blackwater,” he remarked.