Nighat Orakzai of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q presented red roses to Provincial Minister for Food Shuja Khan, PML Q’s Qalandar Lodhi, seasoned young parliamentarian Israrullah Gandapur of Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao,and Sikandar Khan Sherpao of PPP-S, who was absent and could not collect his gift.
Notably, none of the parliamentarians of the religious parties commented on the celebration of Valentine’s Day inside the assembly hall.
It may be noted that last year, following a statement by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif calling on the Taliban to stop attacking Punjab, the outspoken Orakzai threw her dupatta on the floor during an assembly session, offering it to Sharif as a brazen gesture of insult.
Deputy Speaker Khushdil Khan was chairing the session. This was the first session since the appointment of the new Governor Masood Kosar, and although it started with the pleasant sight of red roses, it ended with fiery slogans against US pressure to release Raymond Davis.
K-P opposition members demanded that the government stand firm against pressure being placed on Islamabad by Washington, saying that if Raymond was handed over to the US, people would come onto the streets and protest against the government.
“Raymond Davis should be tried according to the law of the land,” they added.
Javed Abbasi of PML (N) and Nighat Orakzai said that the Pakistani courts should decide the fate of Davis.
Senior Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour of the ANP said the case was in court and they should not discuss it further, adding that they would follow any decision taken by the courts.
The K-P assembly also unanimously passed resolutions demanding the federal government to release funds for the Rs 500 billion Shanawa Uranium Mining Project MPB-2 that was suspended due to lack of funds, and the provision of royalty on gas and LPG to Karak District. So far, only Rs 50 billion has been released for the project. The Shanawa mine in Karak has assured reserves of at least 578 tonnes of uranium and in late 2009 the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission believed that fully utilising the mine could raise the share of electricity from nuclear plants to well over four per cent from the current one per cent share. .
The assembly also passed unanimous resolutions demanding the federal government pay a royalty on LPG excavated in Kohat, including Dir Upper and Dir Lower and the speedy completion of USAID and other donor funded projects. Malik Mohammad Qasim Khattak through a resolution demanded release of funds for the Public Sector Development Programme Uranium exploration project in Karak. A women legislator, Tabbasum Shams Katozai, through a resolution called for presentation of the Domestic Violence on Women Bill
in the Senate.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2011.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ