Senior leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Mian Raza Rabbani on Thursday termed bosses of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) “economic terrorists” who, he claimed, were “fleecing” the people of Karachi and billions of rupees were being deposited to their foreign bank accounts. Speaking on a point of order, Rabbani referred to a rejoinder issued to the media by KESC management, defending itself against the senator’s earlier criticism. The KESC had advised Rabbani to “provide relief to the power consumers of Karachi by playing his due role in payment of billion of rupees payable by the government to the KESC and ensure regular supply of adequate natural gas to its generation plants”.
Rabbani said the power company owed Rs 55 billion to PEPCO and other power generation companies, besides Rs 36.775 billion payable by the KESC to Sui Southern Gas Pipelines Limited (SGPL) for the last two years.
Moreover, Senator Rabbani also moved a motion with Senator Naeem Hussain Chattha of the PML-Q and Senator Dr Safdar Abbasi of the PPP as co-movers against federal secretaries of the ministries of finance, foreign affairs, commerce, production and cabinet for their lack of interest and failure in filing replies of the questions submitted by the senators for response on January 25 and 26. He said it was a breach of the House rules and should be taken notice of. Other senators also supported his views.
Senate Chairman Farooq H Naik referred the matter to the Senate standing committee on rules of procedures and privileges for necessary action.
During the question hour, the Senate was informed that an amount of Rs 66.33 billion was disbursed among 3.081 million families under the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) during the last two financial years.
Providing details, Minister of State for Production Khawaja Sheraz Mahmood told the House that an amount of Rs 32 billion was disbursed during financial year 2009-10, while Rs 34.33 billion were disbursed during financial year 2010-11.
Sheraz said under Waseela-e-Haq Programme, a total of Rs 135 million were disbursed among 1,294 beneficiaries during the last two financial years.
He said that under the Pakistan Baitul Maal, Rs 5.826 billion were disbursed during the last two financial years, while under People’s Works Programme, an amount of Rs 26.349 billion was disbursed during the last financial year.
To a question, Minister In-Charge Establishment Division Riaz Hussain Pirzada said under the Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package, various employment-related initiatives had been taken by the federal government and 4,862 posts had been identified under six percent quota in the federal government for youth from Balochistan, while appointments had been made on 2,400 posts. To another question, Leader of the House Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari informed the House that the sub-committee of cabinet had regularised the services of 150 junior female teachers working on daily wage-basis in institutions under the Federal Directorate of Education.
He said the cases of 181 junior female teachers, who had completed three consecutive tenures of 89 days up to the end of last year, would be forwarded to the sub-committee of the cabinet for regularisation after creation of the posts by the Finance Division.
To a question, Minister of State for Production Khawaja Sheraz Mahmood said an amount of Rs 170.465 million had been paid by the government for writing off loans of residents of Swat by the National Bank of Pakistan. Two reports were also laid before the House. Minister of State for Production Khawaja Sheraz Mahmood laid the annual report of Competition Commission of Pakistan for the year ending June 30, 2010.
The other report on the observance and implementation of principles of policy in relation to the affairs of the federation for the year 2008-09 and 2009-10 was laid by Leader of House Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari. The House was later adjourned to meet again on Friday at 10am.
