National Assembly: Parliamentarians unable to make it through the rain

Barely a dozen lawmakers manage to attend proceedings.

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly proceedings were suspended on Monday as an early morning rainstorm delayed flights, preventing most members from reaching the capital after the weekend break.

Barely a dozen lawmakers were present in the house when it met in the afternoon with Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi presiding.

The parliamentary leaders from all parties including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement agreed to a proposal by Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khursheed Shah to discontinue proceedings. Kundi announced the adjournment of the session till 1 PM on Wednesday.

The house was in the middle of a debate on resurging political violence in Karachi and sectarian killings in Balochistan when it was adjourned for the weekend break last Friday.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik was scheduled on Monday to wind up the debate in which the government faced a lot of criticism for failing to curb violence in Karachi.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 9^th, 2011.