Balochistan Assembly: MPAs denounce PAC chairman’s claims
Members of the Balochistan Assembly on Thursday hit out at Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chief Nadeem Afzal Chan’s for alleging that its members were corrupt and inept.
They warned that if Chan did not withdraw his remarks they would adopt a resolution condemning his actions in the Balochistan Assembly.
Provincial Revenue Minister Zamarak Khan took the floor on a point of order and admonished Chan, who is also a leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
The PAC chief claimed that the Balochistan Assembly was inept because real parties had boycotted the elections while their ministers were involved in embezzlement of funds.
“The allegations by Chan are tantamount to breach of parliamentary privilege,” he added.
Lawmakers suggested that their message should be conveyed through a resolution and added that the PPP leader had breached parliamentary privilege.
FAFEN report
A preliminary report released on Thursday by the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) said low attendance, a persistent lack of quorum and late starts plague the 33rd session of the Balochistan Assembly.
The session met for four sittings between September 18-27, with each sitting lasting around an hour and 55 minutes, with an average delay of 30 minutes.
The Balochistan Assembly doesn’t make their MPA’s attendance public, therefore Fafen observers took a head count at the beginning and end of each sitting. They also noted the actual time the speaker, deputy speaker, and chief minister spent in the session.
On average, 14 members were present until the end of the sessions and at least two of the three minority members in the Assembly were present in each sitting.
The chief minister did not attend the session at any point. The speaker chaired the sessions 22% of the time, while the remaining time the sessions were presided over by the deputy speaker.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2012.
COMMENTS (2)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
I support what ever has been said by the Chairman Public Accounts committee. There had been no development in Balochistan for the last four years. They are now trying to show some development work when their tenure is over. Balochistan is a small province and every one knows every member, including their family background and performance. Who doesn’t know that in Balochistan, the jobs are sold? Even a sweeper has to buy his government job. Who doesn’t know that these Sardars and Nawabs are maintaining their personal militias on the exchequer money? Minus the exchequer money they sell Iranian Petrol. Who doesn't know that some of the richest members were some time back small time smugglers, and Khateebs. Tribal Democracy supported by vested interests, has destroyed this province and Pakistan.