Walkout from house: Senators take up cudgels over corridor route

Insist it would be another Kalabagh dam project if original plan is changed.

ISLAMABAD: Opposition members staged a walkout from the upper house of parliament on Friday after senators from Khyber-Pakthtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan voiced concern over the alleged route diversion of the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Already, some of them have taken up cudgels with the government over the perceived route changes and even threatened to turn the project into “another Kalabagh dam” — alluding to the controversial but perpetually shelved project — if the original route is changed.

At the end of the question and answer session in the first sitting, Senator Zahid Khan of the Awami National Party pointed out that despite strong reservations of the people of Balochistan and K-P, the federal cabinet decided to go ahead with the improvised route of the economic corridor rather than constructing the route as per the original plan from K-P to Balochistan.



“This is an injustice with the other provinces… changing the route blocking any economic and business opportunities that backward areas of these two under-developed provinces would have their way,” he said.

“We have already conveyed our reservations to the government and today we are again walking out,” said the ANP senator who stormed out of the house in protest. He was followed by other senators from opposition parties.

Subsequently, Senate Chairman Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari adjourned the house till Monday without bringing the protesting senators back to the house.

Earlier, Senator Haji Ghulam Ali drew attention to the plight of the people of Chitral, many of whom are stranded following the snowfall-triggered blockade of Lowari Top. Heavy snowfall has cut off the entire district from the rest of the country.

Paying homage to Bhagwandas

The Senate earlier paid tribute to former Supreme Court judge Justice Rana Bhagwandas for his outstanding services to the country and its judicial system. The former chief justice died on February 23.

The Senate chairman recalled the valued services of Bhagwandas for strengthening of the country’s judiciary and judicial system.

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Shaikh Aftab Ahmed added that Bhagwandas has rendered significant efforts for upholding the honour of judiciary. The house also observed one-minute’s silence in honour of the late SC judge.

Earlier, the Senate was informed by Shaikh Aftab Ahmad that 181,743,000 ballot papers were printed for the May 2013 elections.

Some  109,158,600 ballot papers were printed from M/s Printing Corporation of Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd at Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi Presses and 72,584,400 from Pakistan Security Printing Corporation (Pvt) Ltd Karachi.

The state minister pointed out that no contract had been awarded to any private printing press .

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2015.