National Assembly: Khurshid Shah issues ominous warning over govt’s future

Pursue good governance or you (PML-N) will face serious trouble, says opposition leader

ISLAMABAD:

Leader of opposition in the National Assembly Khurshid Ahmed Shah expressed fear for the future of the incumbent government. Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly on Wednesday, Shah warned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of the possible fresh challenges as its governance is being questioned everywhere.

“I see dark clouds still hovering over the horizon of democratic setup,” he told the lawmakers. “Being a bigger opposition party—we (Pakistan Peoples Party) have advised the government to follow the policy of ‘good governance’, otherwise, we feel that you [PML-N] will face serious trouble.”



Shah’s sudden warning comes at a time when many lawmakers in private meetings have already spoken of ‘this very fear’. Such speeches of lawmakers were heard in parliament when the government was confronted by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek over alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections and the need of electoral reforms.

Shah called an attention notice on polio eradication. He also opposed the privatisation of profitable entities including the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited and Pakistan Petroleum Limited. “The government should work out privatisation policy in consultation with the opposition parties.”

“Why the government is trying to privatise profitable entities — this is something which creates doubts in our minds,” he questioned. Profit of these entities should be invested in exploration of natural resources, he added. Shah advised the government to decrease oil prices and electricity charges, urging them to “give some relief to the public.”

Responding to an attention notice moved by Azra Fazal Pechuho and others, Minister of State for National Health Services seeks help from lawmakers to eradicate polio from the country. Pechuho questioned the capacity of the incumbent government to stop alarming increase in the number of polio cases in the country.



She also blamed the previous government and militant groups for weakening the state’s grip on this crippling disease. She also made it clear that the polio eradication programme is not being handed over to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), as suggested by the International Monitoring Board (IMB). “It’s not NDMA mandate, even the authority does not have the capacity to deal with this crisis,” she added.

She informed the house that a letter will be dispatched to the IMB to inform the body that the NDMA does not have the capacity and mandate to run the anti-polio campaign.

“A steering committee, comprising ministers for defence and interior and national health services, has been formed to monitor security of polio workers,” she informed the house. Tarar also surprisingly claimed that lady health workers are not paid timely by the World Health Organisation.

About increase in polio cases, the minister of state clarified that the cases have emerged in areas which were not accessible to polio teams. “Together, we, you, the government has to get rid of this dilemma,” she concluded.

During the question-hour session, Minister of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) Abdul Qadir Baloch informed the lawmakers that around 80% area in North Waziristan Agency has been cleared of militants. Displaced persons will be facilitated in going back to their homes once the entire area is cleared of the militants, he added.

The government has released Rs2.8 billion in cash for the displaced persons of North Waziristan. More than Rs2.3 billion were released to pay the price of 60,000 metric tonnes of wheat to the World Food Programme and one billion rupees were given to Pakistan Army for their relief activities.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2014.