Senators from Balochistan in particular and others in general on Tuesday sought funds on immediate basis to complete the ongoing development projects so as to mitigate the sufferings of the underdeveloped Balochistan province.
Speaking on a point of order, Senator Abdur Rahim Mandokhel said the delay, particularly in energy sector, was causing great hardships for the people of Balochistan. Leader of the Opposition Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri called for installing main transmission lines and provision of electricity, as he asked Senate Chairman Farooq H Naek to direct WAPDA to accelerate work on energy-related projects. Haji Adeel of ANP suggested that the house should pass a resolution to press the government to grant funds on immediate basis.
Senator Safdar Abbasi asked Prime Minister Gilani to allocate Rs 1.2 billion from PWD-II for the completion of ongoing projects proposed by the senators. Senator Ishaq Dar also endorsed the point of view of the Balochistan senators, saying the amount should be released from the PM’s discretionary fund.
Naek asked Leader of the House Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari to arrange a meeting of Balochistan senators with the premier to resolve of the issue. Nayyar Bukhari told the house that funds under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) were being disbursed without any discrimination and favouritism.
Responding to different points of order raised by the members regarding transparency in the BISP, Bukhari said the international community and the donors had also recognised and appreciated the programme.
Earlier, ANP Senator Zahid Khan asked the government to divert 70 billion rupees ‘going down the drain’ in the BISP towards the ongoing development schemes proposed by the senators. He claimed to have proofs of corruption in the BISP and said fresh appointments were being made in the organisation on hefty salaries. Citing financial embezzlement and irregularities, Senator Seemen Siddiqui supported Zahid’s point of view and proposed that no political worker should be allowed to disburse the amount o as to avoid involvement of political people in the programme.
Senator Naeem Hussain Chattha said the citizens were facing discrimination on political grounds in the selection process for the BISP, which must be run in a transparent manner.
Meanwhile, senators belonging to Jamaat-i-Islami, Professor Khurshid Ahmad, Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and Afya Zia drew the attention of their colleagues about a media report, in which it was revealed that the Agriculture Department office located on a prime location on the Murree Road, Shamsabad Rawalpindi, was being demolished and shifted to another site, notwithstanding the fact that the compound spreading over 144 kanal housed 22 offices along with heavy machinery, two workshops and a laboratory.
Through a call attention notice, they said the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) covered on less than 13-kanal land whereas a similar setup in Rawalpindi was planned to utilise 94-kanal while the remaining land would be auctioned. They asked the house to take prompt notice of the issue of immense public importance.
