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ANP wants OBL commission report public
 
January 25, 2013
 
 

ISLAMABAD – The Awami National Party (ANP) in the National Assembly on Thursday demanded the government to unveil the findings of the Abbottabad Commission report in Parliament for further debate on them. The report was presented to Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf last month; now it should be made public, said ANP legislator, Bushra Gohar, on a point of order. She demanded that the report be unveiled, so that an inquiry could be initiated against those responsible.The ANP legislator said the findings of the report could also be discussed in an in-camera session of Parliament. She remarked that the history and record of the commissions constituted earlier to probe the different incidents were not good.It may be mentioned here that formed 18 months ago to probe the events surrounding the killing of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, a five-member commission, led by justice (retired) Javed Iqbal, last month handed its report to Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. The findings reportedly do not directly fix the responsibility for the OBL operation on anyone. The five-member commission was constituted nearly a month after US Navy SEALs swooped upon bin Laden's compound in the garrison town of Abbottabad in May 2011 clearly violating the international norms and Pakistan's sovereignty. This embarrassing revelation - a unilateral action of the US - incited widespread denunciation in Pakistan, with Parliament demanding an independent investigation into how bin Laden had been able to hide and whether there was any government or military collusion. Receiving the report that could remain 'classified', Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf had lauded the efforts of the commission for carrying through the obligation it had been tasked with. Earlier, the matter of new provinces continued to haunt the House, as opposition party's legislator ridiculed the ruling PPP with different arguments, to prove their insincerity with the subject.  "If the PPP was interested in carving out new provinces, then why did they play a role to remove a prime minister from South Punjab. Why did some flights for Bahawalpur close down," remarked PML-N legislator Shireen Arshad. “Those raising the issue of provinces are actually interested in using it as a slogan for the upcoming polls,” she said, and questioned how much share was being given to South Punjab through Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP). Upon this, PPP chief whip Khursheed Shah said the call for South Punjab province was an old demand of the people of that area. The government in respect of Punjab Assembly's resolution was taking further steps, he added.He said Parliament's days were counted, and one should not pass offensive remarks against institutions over personal enmity. In response to concern raised by opposition's lawmakers, he said all-out efforts were being made to regularise contractual employees in Balochistan. The legislators from opposition parties raised the issue of the deprived province, Balochistan, in terms of resources. They pointed out that this province did not interest the incumbent government. PML-N legislator Abdul Qadir Baloch said that two important projects could not be completed within the stipulated timeframe, December 2011. "If these projects, Dadu to Khuzdar and DG Khan to Loralai, were completed on time, fifty per cent of power shortfall could have been controlled," he said while adding that Balochistan was not provided electricity in accordance with its contribution to overall power generation. Another JUI-F legislator Maulvi Asmatullah, on a point of order, said the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan package was not implemented properly. MNA Abdul Malik Wazir, on a point of order, demanded that staff should be arranged for teachers in South Waziristan. PPP MNA Begum Nasim Akhtar Chaudhry presented a report of a standing committee on a bill meant to amend the Constitution [The constitution (twenty-third amendment) Bill, 2012]. The bill calls for amendment of Article 106 of the Constitution, in Balochistan general seats (51), women (11), non-Muslim (4); in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa general seats (99), women (22), non-Muslim (4); in Punjab general seats (297), women (66), non-Muslim (10); and in Sindh General seats (130), women (29), non-Muslim (12).Under Article 36 of the constitution, the state is obliged to safeguard the legitimate right, interests of minorities. Presently, under Article 51(4) of the Constitution, ten seats have been reserved for non-Muslims in the National Assembly.As regards seats for non-Muslims in the provincial assemblies under Article 106 of the Constitution, three seats were reserved in the provincial assembly of Balochistan, three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight in the Punjab and nine seats in the provincial assembly of Sindh. These seats were added long way back. There is genuine persistent demand of the minorities that since their population had increased with the passage of time, reserved seats for them should be enhanced.Minister for Defence Syed Naveed Qamar laid before the House the establishment of the office of Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) order (amendment) Ordinance, 2012, as by Clause (2) of Article of the Constitution. The statement of objects and reasons says the Article 24(2) of PO of 1983 has been amended to empower the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) to delegate his power to any of the officer of that Secretariat holding post in BS-21 or above, for such period and subject to such condition as he may deem fit.  A bill to amend the Cost and Management Accounts Act, 1966 (the cost and management accounts (amendment) 2013 was also introduced in the House.

 
 
on epaper page 10
 
 
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