QUETTA:
The secretary of the Balochistan Assembly drew fire from the legislators on Friday for calling a press conference on Wednesday to disclose that a no-trust motion being passed against the speaker was unconstitutional.
Secretary Assembly’s move apparently foiled the bid to dethrone the Speaker and left the movers of no-confidence motion seething.
Deputy Speaker Balochistan Assembly, Syed Matiullah Agha said that action would be taken against Zahoor Ahmed Baloch for holding the press conference.
The deputy speaker had approved the no-confidence motion against the Speaker Balochistan Assembly Aslam Bhootani.
“The secretary being a government employee was not authorised to play parliamentary politics,” said Agha.
The press conference of Baloch was against rules and regulations, said Agha, while chairing the session of Balochistan Assembly on Friday.
He was replying to objections of some lawmakers over the action of the secretary.
“The Secretary Assembly, in his capacity as a public servant, had nothing to do with the ongoing session of assembly. He acted as a leader of the opposition and thereby violated regulations,” the deputy speaker said.
Syed Ahsan Shah of BNP-Awami said that the press conference was illegal.
“It is duty of deputy speaker to inform the speaker if something wrong is being done,” he said.
Development funds not released
Criticising the federal government, the lawmakers of Balochistan said that centre was not serious with the development of the province.
Only Rs9 billion were released from the Rs40 billion announced for the province in federal Public Sector Development Programme, that too at the end of the last fiscal year, Maulana Abdul Wasay said.
He said that nationalists had no ballot-power. “We will sweep the forthcoming elections and would continue to serve the people under the leadership of Aslam Raisani,” he said. He said that Baloch and Pashtoon nationalist leaders, who claimed to be real representatives of Balochistan, took directives from Mian Nawaz Sharif, yet claimed that Punjab was usurping their rights.
Speaking on a point of order, Agricultural Minister Asad Baloch said the tenure of the government is about to end in three months and not a single project has been completed so far in the province.
Habib-ur–Rehman Muhammad Hassani, Minister Balochistan WASA said the federal government has stopped work on the Basima-Panjgour Highway. He complained of prejudice towards Balochistan.
Syed Ahsan Shah of Balochistan National Party (Awami) suggested forming a commission to determine how much the federal government was paying to Balochistan and vice versa.
Attack on passengers slated
PPP Deputy Parliamentary leader Ali Madad Jattak said that federal government was being criticised but nobody was condemning the attack on a passenger bus in Bolan in which five people were killed. He demanded stern action against the culprits.
Tariq Magsi made leader of opposition
Nawabzada Tariq Magsi, the younger brother of Balochistan Governor Nawab Magsi has been notified as opposition leader in the Balochistan Assembly since December 18, it is learnt.
Tariq Magsi was a member of the treasury benches and had recently asked for a seat on opposition benches. Subsequently, speaker Aslam Bhootani notified him as Leader of the Opposition.
This action of the speaker was said to be the act of provocation that compelled the ruling coalition to move a no-confidence motion against him.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2012.
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