Pakistan

Parliament Lodges: 100 family suites to be built for lawmakers

Joint committee of Senate, NA also approves building of servant quarters.

Peer Muhammad/azam Khan February 09, 2011

ISLAMABAD:

A joint committee of both houses of the Parliament approved the construction of 100 additional family suites for parliamentarians, along with 500 servant quarters, on Tuesday.

A joint meeting of two parliamentary standing committees, the Senate house committee and the house and library committee of the National Assembly, met to discuss the controversial project.

The meeting was jointly chaired by deputy speaker National Assembly Faisal Karim Kundi and deputy chairman Senate Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali.

The issue was referred to the joint committee by the prime minister after the opposition raised concern over the project.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) representatives in the committee opposed the project while others supported it. The deputy chairman Senate said there is a dearth of MPs’ residences in the parliament lodges and therefore, the project is vital.

Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA) Imtiaz Inayat Elahi said the estimated cost of the project was Rs2.7 billion and construction will take place in 3 phases. He added that Rs60 million had already been allocated, while Rs410 million per annum have been budgeted for the project which will be completed in three years.

A monitoring committee, comprising Engr. Amir Muqam, Engr. Shaukatullah, Asiya Nasir, Senator Farhat Abbas and Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo, has been constituted to monitor progress of the project.

At present, the Parliament lodges directorate has nine blocks, of which seven are being used by parliamentarians while the remaining two by the administration. The lodges comprise 358 family suites, against a total of 442 parliamentarians.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9th, 2011.

COMMENTS (21)

A R Khan Yusufzai | 13 years ago | Reply Flood victims rusting on the Roads & 100 family suites for Parliamentarians?

moise | 13 years ago | Reply On one hand there is no money and we print money to pay for salaries of government employees resulting in inflation and on the next hand we are building 100 suites and 500 servant quarters for families and servants of lawmakers.

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Omar Khayyam | 13 years ago | Reply Lets see if the religiously inclined come out on the streets against this - as they did for Qadri!

rehan tariq | 13 years ago | Reply plz control da corruption n save PAKISTAN 4 GOD SAKE

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply The real worrying thing is that where else is the government mis-managing scarce resources that we do not know about? In the past it has been argued that people that make stupid statements like everyone should be allowed their fair share of corruption or a fake degree is the same as a real degree etc are a minority. Now I think the quality of our elected officials is there for all to see. The people in the NA often come from the upper echelons from society, are extremely wealthy. They simply cannot justify this level of expense on themselves. Also I would agree that MQM should know better then to vote in favour of this. But their leader is highly unpredicatble. One week he glamorises the generals and the next he is their mortal enemy.

Clean Pakistan | 13 years ago | Reply almost Rs 3 billion wastes on useless and corrupt lawmakers... the money could have been spend to build hundreds of primary schools or in creating a fund to sponsor poor kids to attend schools...

Fardad Ali Shah | 13 years ago | Reply Given the economic health of the country, any new parliament lodges should be of the lower middle class standard. This will be truly reflective of the living standard of the average person whom the legislators claim to represent. Also denying luxuries and perks to parliamentarians would discourage professional politicians from becoming members of Parliament and only true social workers would then try for the position.

Dr Javaid Khan | 13 years ago | Reply Our politicians are rich.They do not need to use public funds for their luxury houses.Time will come very soon when people will come out on the street and throw the ruling elite out of Pakistan.Half of these MNAs have fake degree and Senators have won their seats by buying the votes.This is not the democracy we would like to see in Pakistan.

Atif | 13 years ago | Reply Hats off, Mr. Nawaz Sharif and all PML(N) members who only opposed. Where are so called "Hamdards" of 170 million poor population i.e MQM , PPP ???

Khurram Baig | 13 years ago | Reply Don't get me wrong, I am not in favour of a dictatorship or military rule in any way. But, I guess this is a gift for all those "democracy at all costs" advocates. I think we are just in love with buzz words, liberalism vs extremism, democracy vs dictatorship, socialism vs capitalism, etc. Besides, with reserved seats for women, instead of an open election, with feudal and sardari vote-banks, with most political parties run by dynasties, we really don't have democracy. We never did.

Copper | 13 years ago | Reply What can one say to all those who voted yes including MQM whom I expected to vote No

Imdad | 13 years ago | Reply ...and they cry foul when people go nuts and shoot elitist symbols like Salman Taseer.

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply @Delirium Check out the Human development index report, more than 61% of our population is living on less than 2 $ a day.

Not-Surprised | 13 years ago | Reply Why is everyone surprised? Democracy in our country means: 1) Politicians gain and make new avenues for further corruption 2) Families of politicians acquire a new status in society. They can't be touched or questioned by anyone 3) Media is liberated but controlled at the same time and there are so many more...please feel free to add.

TightDhoti | 13 years ago | Reply Well if the taxpayers of Pakistan are paying for the nations elite to live in purpose built lodges in the capital, then perhaps their vacated palatial manors in desirable urban centers across the country, the "farmhouses" just outside these desirable areas, and their vast feudal estates from where they lord over their "tenants" can be handed over to the people of Pakistan. That would be a fair exchange no?

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply *> “We will accept the decision of the

house in this regard,” the PM had said while addressing the national assembly session last week.*

This must be the ultimate in passing on the buck! he asks people of the NA if they would like even more luxuries while every one else starves. Shock horror they vote yes!!! Is it any suprise that these people never let any taxation on the elites that govern the country? The sooner this cabal of thieves are disbanded the better.

Delirium | 13 years ago | Reply That is precisely the sort of investment we should be proud of when 24% of the total population is living below the poverty line and ravaging flood waters left many homeless and shelterless.

Ali | 13 years ago | Reply This is what in my mind proves Musharraf was 10000% right when he said that in the past Pakistan has only had a sham democracy! Do these people realsie that after the recent floods people are still sleeping in the open air, children freeze to death in the night, starvation is rampant, the country is struggling under huge debts, many people cannot even buy staples because of rampant inflation because of the governemnts economic mis management. Bearing in mind the above, could the above choice possibly represent the choice of the people or indeed any sensible person? It is the wish of the elite that populate the NA to pamper themselves. It's no different to the actions of any Banana republic dictator.

Uzair | 13 years ago | Reply This is ridiculous! The most useless of expenditures. The majority of the Parliamentarians can afford housing, and are already housed! Why not build something for the displaced flood victims on 4 acres of land!?!

Adeel | 13 years ago | Reply yeah like the parliamentarians don't have a place to live...parliament in action on such a grave issue...such a shame!!

abdullah | 13 years ago | Reply and the house will never say no..........what a democracy its even worse than a dictatorship....ppl were atleast not dying of hunger as it is happening 2day and our gov which talks about austerity measures has shown its seriousness about it......they r born to beg nothing else....i feel they have all graduated in this field.............

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