Lawmakers demand inquiry into Nishtar Hospital scandal

Iqbal decries Imran’s ‘political campaign’ amid devastating floods

ISLAMABAD:

The issue of the unidentified dead bodies found on the rooftop of Multan's Nishtar Hospital was raised in the National Assembly (NA) session on Monday and the lawmakers demanded a full investigation into the treatment of human corpses.
Kishwar Zehra demanded DNA tests of the bodies. “Our people have gone missing,” she remarked.

Qadir Khan Mandokhail said that he had never seen the way bodies were found in the hospital. The DNA tests of these bodies should be done to ascertain who they were, and the families of the deceased should be found, he added.

“Under which law the dead bodies were kept there?” he asked, adding that murderers are sitting in the hospital.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi said that he will discuss it after getting details from the province.

Minister of State for Interior Abdul Rahman Kanju termed it a very heart-breaking incident and called for a report on the matter.

Mohsin Dawar also seconded the demand for DNA tests for the identification of the dead bodies.

During the session chaired by Alia Kamran, other matters also came into discussion. Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal commented that the by-elections were one-sided. “Our focus was on the flood victims, this person (Imran Khan) is cruel, he does not care about the flood victims,” he remarked.

“Imran Niazi probably ran an election campaign in the name of the flood victims; Imran Khan kept joking with the flood victims,” he added.

“If Khan Sahib had invested this money on the flood victims, perhaps the other four districts would have been restored,” he further said.

Minister of State for Interior Kanju said that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has no intention to open any new sector. The sectors of CDA which are under construction will be completed first, he added.

The lower house of parliament was also informed by the Ministry of Home Affairs that from July 2020 to June 2022, liquor licences were issued to 11,003 people. A revenue of Rs2.818 million was collected from the licences of liquor and beer, the written response stated.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member Chaudhry Barjees Tahir asked for the details of the expenses incurred to deal with the long march of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on May 25, 2022.

On which, it was told by the Ministry of Interior that Rs330.70 million were spent to deal with the long march. Rs210 million were spent on installing containers in Islamabad while Rs31.5 million were spent on tear gas and Rs47.8 million on food and drinks for forces, it was added. The house was further informed that Rs40 million were spent on miscellaneous expenses.

MNA Noor Alam Khan raised the issue of insult shown to Pakistani flag after the Afghan team lost cricket match in Dubai.

He said that Afghan fans who went to the UAE on Pakistani passports insulted the Pakistani flag.

“They also tortured Pakistanis; they returned to Pakistan after being deported,” he said, asking what action was taken against them.

Minister of State for Interior Kanju said that they were not deported. But Khan insisted that they were indeed deported.

Khan said that he had raised the matter before the National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) chief but there was no record of it.

Mehmood Bashir Virk said that immediate action should be taken against those who desecrated the Pakistani flag and tortured Pakistanis. “How dare they insult the Pakistani flag?” he asked.

Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali said that no money was received for the flood victims. The money received from the provincial government was not received from the centre, he added.

Murtaza Javed Abbasi said that the funds announced for the flood victims had been given to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

During the session, Murtaza Javed Abbasi presented the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority Amendment Bill 2022. Aamir Talal Gopang presented the report of the Standing Committee on Petroleum on the Petroleum Amendment Bill 2022.

During the session, Fatiha was offered for the former chief justice of Balochistan High Court (BHC), Noor Muhammad Maskanzai.

he session was adjourned till 4 pm Tuesday.