ZULFIQAR AHMAD

ISLAMABAD: Senator Farhatullah Babar on Thursday warned the government of a ‘dark foreboding’, claiming that cancellation of a ‘scheduled meeting’ with the Prime Minister by Chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) after a warning to the top anti-graft body is an indicative that all is not well.

Speaking on a point of public importance in Senate, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senator said that NAB chairman Qamar Zaman Chaudhary had issued a statement, eulogizing the prime minister soon after he lambasted the bureau for alleged harassment of the investors.

At the same breath, Senator Babar continued that reported cancellation of a meeting within twenty-four hours of releasing a sugar-coated statement by the top anti-graft body chairman with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, which he claimed was scheduled for Thursday, is an ‘unprecedented snub to the chief executive of the country’.

“The Prime Minister’s unusual and blunt warning to NAB, the initial reconciliatory response of the chairman followed by the reported cancellation of a scheduled meeting between chairman NAB and the Prime Minister and the apparently inspired comments in a section of the media intended to provoke and frighten the Prime Minister Sharif,” he added.

However, within minutes of Senator Babar’s statement in the Senate, which was picked up by the national media, the Prime Minister Secretariat swiftly issued a statement, denying that there was no meeting scheduled between the premier and chairman NAB.

Qamar Zaman was appointed as chairman of the country’s top anti-corruption body through the mandatory consultation with Leader of the Opposition (PPP) by the government.

But, he was hit by both PPP and PML-N and most recently by Prime Minister, for allegedly tightening the noose around the alleged corrupt in Punjab, the stronghold of the Sharifs, under pressure of the all-time powerful military establishment.

BILLS

The House passed four bills without any amendments including the Electoral Rolls (Amendment) Bill, 2015; the Delimitation of Constituencies (Amendment) Bill, 2015; the Pakistan Halal Authority Bill, 2015 and the Publication of Laws of Pakistan Bill, 2015.

Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (Conversion) Bill, 2015 was also introduced in the house, and was referred to the concerned standing committee for further deliberation by the chairman with directives to report back to the house within 12 days.

The Chairman of Standing Committee on Law and Justice presented report on the Un-attended Orphans (Rehabilitation and Welfare) Bill, 2013 aimed at rehabilitation and welfare of the un-attended orphan children.

The House took up one Calling Attention Notice about increasing number of incidents of blasts due to sub-standard gas cylinders in absence of action against the illegal gas refilling stations.

WALKOUT

The combined opposition staged walkouts twice over killing of a PPP worker in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and increase in prices of life saving drugs by the pharmaceutical companies. Chairman Senate directed the Senate Standing Committee on Health to take up the matter of increase in drug prices.

In response, Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, a treasury senator, said that the Parliament held a threadbare discussion on the recent increase in drug prices by the pharmaceutical companies. She said that the state minister for health Saira Afzal said that the government could not take action as the pharma companies had obtained stay order.

This infuriated the chairman, who made it clear that he would not allow ‘the judiciary to be a protector of curtails’. Rabbani directed the committee to look into the matter and report back to the house by next session.

QUESTION-HOUR

The Senate was informed that at present 1.55 million registered Afghan refugees were residing in Pakistan. The Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions (Safron) Lt. Gen. Abdul Qadir Baloch (retd) told the house that the Prime Minister recently extended the legal stay of registered Afghan refugees till June 30. He quickly added that there was also a proposal to extend the stay of the registered refugees till the end of next year.

Baloch said that some 3.9 million Afghan refugees had been repatriated to their homeland since 2002, adding that Pakistan has commitment with the international community to repatriate Afghan Refugees with dignity and honour.

He said that the issue of repatriation had repeatedly been taken up with the Afghan government but it had expressed its inability to provide necessary facilities and incentives for return of refugees to their homeland.

Minister for Railway Khawaja Saad Rafique informed the House there was a proposal for laying a new railway track from Havelian to Khunjerab. He said the project was part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and was likely to commence under long-term plan of CPEC.

Federal Law Minister Pervaiz Rashid told the house that a proposal to amend Land Reforms Act 1977 as per direction of Shariat Appellant Bench of Supreme Court had been referred to Council of Common Interests (CCI). He said that a meeting of CCI was expected to be held soon.