NA proceedings: Govt rebuked over apathy to victims

Despite passing unanimous resolution, opposition parties stage walkout to protest govt’s insensitivity.

ISLAMABAD:

After passing a unanimous resolution to express sorrow over the loss of lives in Balochistan earthquake, the opposition on Wednesday blamed the government for being “insensitive to the tragedy”.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) member Shazia Mari moved the resolution, which expressed sympathies with the families of the deceased and called upon the government to expedite the rescue and relief operations in the calamity-hit areas.

Following the resolution, the opposition parties including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged a walkout to register their protest over what they said “insensitivity” of the government.

“The government did not give any official statement about the calamity. Even the prime minister did not say anything about it in the UN to attract attention of the international community towards this massive disaster,” said leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah.



Shah also censured the ministers and said they did not miss any opportunity to talk out of the parliament house but were tongue-tight over the tragedy.

Giving reference to the miseries of people of Balochistan, Shah said that the government’s attitude reflected as if the calamity-hit province was not part of Pakistan. “Baloch are already feeling alienated and such attitude of the government was like rubbing salt into their wounds,” he added.

The PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi endorsed opposition leader’s concerns over government’s apathy and noted that the prime minister should have returned to the country after hearing about the calamity.

“The government seems insensitive as no proper help is being given to the affectees,” he said.

But the government said there should not be political point-scoring over such issues. “The opposition should point out the negligence of the government instead of mere criticism,” said Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq.



Hitting back at the PPP, he said the people were suffering, even in Sindh, due to corrupt practices of the previous government. “Flood survivors of Sindh are still waiting for help,” he added.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sheikh Aftab Ahmed also refuted the blames and said the government was well aware of the calamity and would present the detailed report in the house on Thursday. “The prime minister has instructed Federal Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch to visit the area and coordinate with the provincial government,” he added.

Money drawn in name of treatment

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan assured Javed Hashmi that the government would probe into the case, in which millions of rupees were drawn in the name of his medical treatment without his knowledge.

Hashmi had raised the issue during the last government and former premier Yousaf Raza Gilani had promised to investigate into the corruption.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2013.