PTI MNA accuses govt of selling jobs for money

Speaker orders investigation into ‘serious charges’ as NA session prorogued

ISLAMABAD: The current session of the National Assembly which saw a rare bond of amity between the treasury and the opposition benches on various important legislations, concluded on Wednesday with ministers facing accusations of selling jobs for money by one of their own lawmakers.

Even Speaker Asad Qaiser was unhappy with some federal ministers during the Question Hour. He also expressed his anger at the absence of the officials of the relevant ministries.

The session was summoned by the president on January 1. During the past fortnight, the house passed several important legislations, including the services chiefs services tenure bills and the Zainab Alert bill with an overwhelming support of the opposition PML-N and the PPP.

Though there were off-and-on heated exchanges between the treasury and the opposition, Wednesday’s sitting saw the ruling PTI members come down hard on their own ministers, hurling allegations of selling the jobs, while the PTI lawmakers from Karachi stood up in protest against Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Zaidi.

Speaking on the floor of the house, Sardar Riaz, a PTI member from Rajanpur, alleged that 21 jobs were sold in Rajanpur. “Jobs were sold for Rs150,000 each. Everything is fraud. I can provide complete list,” he told the house.

Parliamentary Secretary Farrukh Habib replied that the jobs were given on merit. “If anyone is involved in corruption, action will be taken,” he said. Speaker Assad Qaiser, who was chairing the session, ordered an investigation into the allegations, saying that “serious charges have been levelled”.

Also, a PTI lawmaker from Karachi criticised Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Zaidi in a calling attention notice. Responding to the calling attention notice, Zaidi said that the construction of the bridge between Port Qasim and the Karachi port, was part of a development package.

“They all came to me for [party] tickets before the election. My phone number has not changed since I became the minister. Members of Karachi can contact me whenever they want,” he said in remarks, which did not go well with his party’s MNAs from Karachi.

The PTI lawmakers stood up in protest against the minister. However, the speaker realised the gravity of the situation and prevented the treasury members from staging walkout. He advised that certain matters should be resolved at parliamentary party level or at other relevant forums.

MMA’s Salahuddin said that the sanctity of the Holy Quran must he upheld in political matters. He was referring to a spate between PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah and Narcotics Control State Minister Shahryar Afridi, who both swore on the Holy Quran during their speeches.

The members also raised the issue of devastation caused by rain and snow in various parts of the country. Responding to Akbar Chitrali’s calling attention notice, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar told the house that the government would announce a package after assessing the damage.

Climate Change Minister Zartaj Gul said that the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other relevant agencies had been activated. “The NDMA does not have its own helicopter, for which we’re in process of issuing a recommendation,” she added.

During the Question Hour earlier, the ministers and relevant officials of the religious affairs, Railways, Maritime Affairs and other ministries were not present in the house. The speaker said next time if the bureaucrats were found absent, he would order his ruling to be attached with their ACRs.

The house also passed the University of Islamabad Bill, 2019. Later, the speaker adjourned the session indefinitely.