The government’s major coalition partners, the Awami National Party (ANP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), as well as opposition parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and members from FATA on Friday walked out of the Senate to protest the killings in Kochlak (Quetta), killing of police cadets in Lahore and cross-border attacks in Bajaur. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mian Raza Rabbani also joined the protesters. During the Senate session on Friday, ANP’s Daud Khan Achakzai, on a point of order, demanded a thorough inquiry into Friday’s attack on an ANP rally in Kochlak, Balochistan, in which seven people were killed He and fellow party member Zahid Khan demanded the inquiry be completed within two days. Senators belonging to the ANP, JUI-F, MQM and PML-N condemned the Kochlak, Lahore attack on National Jail Authority trainees and cross-border attacks in Bajaur. Leader of Opposition Ishaq Dar said the National Jail Authority was a federal institution and its head had
written a letter to the federal government for more security, but no positive response was received. He said it was not the responsibility of the Punjab government to provide security to the trainees. Leader of the House Jahangir Badr opposed Dar and said managing law and order was the responsibility of the provincial government.
Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri of the JUI-F said recent incidents might be in reaction to the reopening of NATO supplies. He criticised the government and said the writ of the government was not to be seen anywhere in the country. PML-Q’s Mushahid Hussain Syed said law and order was worsening by the day. He expressed solidarity with those affected by the Kochlak, Bajaur and Lahore incidents. He stressed on the need for an effective counterterrorism strategy to face these incidents. When the Senate session started, only State Minister for Water and Power Tasneem Ahmed Quresh was present in the House. Raza Rabbani demanded the chairman to pass instruction against absent ministers. Farhatullah Babar of the PPP also supported Rabbani and said important questions were on the agenda. He also demanded action against absent ministers.
