The Balochistan Assembly just took 25 minutes to unanimously pass the supplementary budget for the fiscal year 2011-12 on Thursday.
Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani chaired the session in which Balochistan Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd Gaillu presented 36 demands of grants to the tune of Rs 27.978 billion.
Non-development expenditures were estimated at Rs 12.316 billion while Rs 15.666 billion were earmarked for development expenditures. The House passed the demands unanimously when the chair put them to vote.
None of the three opposition members was present during the proceedings.
Earlier, some members expressed their resentment and protested over the “media trial” of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.
Agriculture Minister Asad Baloch, who is also the Balochistan National Party (Awami) secretary general, said the chief justice took serious notice of those who were behind the enforced disappearances of Baloch youth. He said the CJP’s hard stand over the missing persons issue in fact disturbed the forces which had embarked on a smearing campaign.
He said the Supreme Court had proved that two missing persons were in the custody of the Frontier Corps who were killed and their bodies were thrown away. He said it was a matter of great concern that a campaign had been launched against the chief justice after he took serious notices on the Balochistan issue.
Irrigation Minister Sardar Aslam Bezenjo said the chief justice had taken serious notice of discovery of bullet-riddled bodies of the missing Baloch youth upon which an anti-chief justice drive had been launched so that world’s attention could be diverted from Balochistan and the missing persons’ issue. “The media trial against the chief justice should be stopped forthwith,” he demanded.
Minister for S&GAD and PML-N provincial minister Sardar Sanaullah Zehri lauded the efforts of the judiciary and said the judiciary had taken concrete steps for the supremacy of law and the constitution.
JUI-F leader Abdul Wasey demanded an immediate end to the media trial of the chief justice, saying that such practices might further weaken the position of state institutions.
On the issue of less discharge of irrigation water from Sindh, Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani assured the House that he would take up the issue with the Sindh government.
Minister without portfolio, PPP’s provincial president Mir Sadiq Umrani protested over release of insufficient canal water to Balochistan by Sindh.
Bezenjo said Balochistan should get 6,500 cusecs of water but contrary to that, Balochistan was getting only just 4,000 cusecs.
