Balochistan Assembly: Lawmakers hurl abuses at each other during session

JUI-F ministers come close to thrashing a PML-Q parliamentarian.

QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Saturday witnessed an unusual scene when lawmakers hurled abusive remarks against each other with ministers of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) even trying to thrash former finance minister Sheikh Jaffar Mandokhel of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid.

The incident occurred when Mandokhel took the floor on a point of order, and quoted locals authorities allege that JUI-F minister Maulana Wasey threatened the commissioner of the Muslim Bagh area of dire consequences over the issuance of licences for dynamites used in chromite mines.

This generated a strong reaction from representatives of the JUI-F, with speaker assembly Aslam Bhottani saying Mandokhel’s words had been expunged from the assembly proceedings. But angry JUI-F minister Maulvi Sarwar continued his tirade leading the speaker to adjourn the session for 15 minutes.

Another JUI-F minister Aynullah Shams stood up, despite the session’s adjournment, and used indecent language against Mandokhel. Both the ministers belonging to the JUI-F came close to hitting Mandokhel but other member intervened and took the angry lawmakers out of the house. The ministers were constantly using indecent language while they were being taken out.

Sadiq Umrani of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Assad Baloch of Baloch National Party-Awami and others managed to resolve the differences among the lawmakers by holding separate talks with them.

Talking to newsmen, speaker Aslam Bhootani said that the “misunderstanding” between Mandokhel and JUI-F ministers had been addressed. “All the lawmakers respect each other and we will not violate the traditions followed by the Balochistan Assembly,” he said, adding that the incident resulted out of a misunderstanding. Bhootani also said that those who fought had become friends again.

Earlier, Minister for Agriculture Asad Baloch took the floor on a point of order and demanded withdrawal of Frontier Corps’ (FC) powers given to it under Custom-Act. “The FC is being given more power with each passing day. It is severely affecting the normal life of the people in the bordering areas,” he said.

Lawmakers also spoke over the low gas pressure throughout Balochistan and unscheduled power outages in and around Quetta. They claimed that the Sui Southern Gas Company sold gas to the Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation at the cost of the people of Balochistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd,  2011.