Senate proceedings: PPP joins ANP in walking out against killing of worker in Karachi

ISLAMABAD: After hoisting of the Awami National Party (ANP) flag cost a worker his life in Karachi, on Tuesday the party lodged its protest in the Senate through a token walkout that was also joined by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

“We cannot hoist our party flags in Karachi …is this democracy?” Senator Shahi Syed from the ANP questioned, perturbed as he referred to Monday night’s incident.

According to details, an ANP worker was killed while he was hoisting the party flag and two others injured in Frontier Colony.

“For how long will we carry dead bodies of our people and take the injured to hospitals?” Syed questioned, adding that some four to five million Pushtoons were living in Karachi but were subject to atrocities.

The senator, who was previously the Sindh chapter head of ANP, added that all political parties, including the protesting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), were in power (either provincial or federal) but it was the ANP which was being pushed into a corner.

The ANP lawmaker demanded that both federal and provincial governments need to be on the same page in addressing law and order issues of Karachi.

“Don’t push us to climb mountains,” Syed warned using the term used for separatists of Balochistan. Before walking out, he announced the boycott of the Senate session and demanded that the killers of the ANP worker should be arrested.

The PPP joined the ANP in their boycott in order to express solidarity.

Meanwhile, addressing the house on a point of order, Senator Farah Aqil from the ANP asked the authorities to shift Punjab police personnel, deployed in Islamabad in the wake of protests and sit-ins, from the Sports complex to another location since female athletes were facing problems in preparation camps for the SAF games.

“The SAF games are going to take place next month but female camps at the sport complex were facing problems due to ill-mannered police personnel,” she complained.

I-P pipeline hurdles

Earlier, the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources Jam Kamal informed the house that the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project was facing issues regarding installation of compressors, pipeline and payments system to international firms.

“We have informed the Iranian authorities about these issues and are waiting for their reply,” he added.

Senator Sughra Imam from the PPP questioned the petroleum minister about details of international sanctions that may become applicable. In a written reply, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that the “The US government has enforced National Defence Authorisation Act, 2012 (NDAA) and Executive Order 13,622 to prohibit financial transactions with the central bank of Iran and other designated financial institutions.”

“Such sanctions shall apply to a foreign financial institution owned or controlled by the government of a foreign country, including transaction for the sale or on or after 180 days from the 31st December 2011.”

“Since the I-P Gas Pipeline Project is an important link in our energy security matrix, Ministry of Foreign Affairs is consistently engaged with Iran and our international partners in exploring ways and means for and early implementation of the project,” the reply added.