Surprise, surprise!

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif finally came to the Punjab Assembly after eight months and delivered a long speech on Balochistan issue and other national problems on Thursday. The CM, instead of discussing provincial problems like dengue and deaths due the drugs Punjab Institute of Cardiology drugs, remained critical of the federal government and preferred to raise his voice on the issues of national level. The Opposition in PA had always criticised the CM for not coming to the House while Punjab Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah Khan and others had tried their utmost to defend the CM but to no avail. It is pertinent to mention here that the CM remained absent from the PA when a number of major problems arose in the province, including the dengue outbreak and the deaths due to the PIC drugs. Sana’s main argument in the CM’s defence was always that “no member is bound to come to the house.” It was perhaps the first time on Thursday that he did not have to present an excuse for the CM.
The Opposition chose to boycott the session when the CM entered the House thus providing an opportunity to the Treasury to become the victims. “The CM is here to answer questions yet the Opposition is on a boycott,” Sana said. During his speech at the PA, Shahbaz said Pakistan, which comprised Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, was like a human structure and if one organ was lost it would affect the performance of the whole body. He said history would not forgive Pakistanis if any carelessness was shown to the insurgency in Balochistan. He said it was time to learn from mistakes to live with honour in the comity of nations. “Balochistan issue will have to be resolved at all costs and the grievances of the Baloch brethren will have to be redressed,” he said and also proposed that a committee comprising representatives of all political parties be constituted under the chairmanship of Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan which, through a comprehensive resolution, should condemn the excesses committed against the Balochi people and convey the message of love and brotherhood to them.
Shahbaz said there repeated military interventions had taken place in Balochistan during the last 64 years. However, in the tenure of former dictator Pervez Musharraf, all limits were crossed and Baloch leader Nawab Akbar Bugti was assassinated, he added. He said the entire nation demanded justice in the case. He said that it is time to redress the grievances of Balochi brethren rather than convening All Parties’ Conference on the issue of Balochistan. He said Germany was completely destroyed in the world wars but it had emerged as a strong economic force due to the hard work and sincerity of its people and the Berlin Wall between East and West Germany was also pulled down. However, it was ironic that Pakistan of the Quaid which was achieved after a numerous sacrifices was disintegrated but no lesson had been learnt from that tragedy. He said instead of taking practical measures to make up for the excesses committed against the Balochi brethren, hollow statements were being issued from the bunker of Islamabad. He said time had come to raise voice over Balochistan issue and every effort needed to be made to appease the estranged Balochis. He said the people of Punjab would fight for the rights of Balochi people and every effort will be made for the solution of their problems.
Shahbaz further said dictator Musharraf despite having complete authority could not get unanimous approval of NFC Award but the political leadership of the four provinces had achieved this miracle. He said Punjab had displayed a spirit of sacrifice and had surrendered Rs 11 billion from its share for the promotion of national integrity. He said people of Punjab would not hesitate to offer even a bigger sacrifice if needed for the strengthening of the country. He said the credit went to the Pakistan Muslim League-N government for doubling the quota of the students of Balochistan and other provinces as well as Azad Kashmir in educational institutions in the province. Moreover, he said, scholarships were being given to the talented students of other provinces from Punjab Educational Endowment Fund and position-holder students of Azad Kahsmir and all provinces were included in the delegations sent on study tour abroad so that the whole country could be represented. He said male and female students of all provinces had been included in the programme of distribution of laptops. He said Pakistan was facing terrorism, extremism and other serious challenges and innocent Muslims were being killed in terrorist acts. He said an attempt was made to give a strong message to Pakistan through a resolution on Balochistan in America. He said it was high time to realise the gravity of the situation and to find a solution to Balochistan issue and placate the Balochi people without any further loss of time.
RESOLUTION AGAINST HIKES: PML-N members in announced to move a resolution against increase in petroleum, gas and electricity prices and said it was nuclear attack on the people. The session also discussed the Irrigation Department. Zulfiqar Gondal of PPP criticized the provincial government for dengue and PIC issue and said that the provincial government has failed to deliver.