With the start of the proceedings in the Upper House, Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bokhari announced that the law minister had informed him that he would get late therefore the matter would be taken up later in the day. However, the matter was not taken up despite Naek’s arrival in the House.
The Upper House unanimously passed “The Islamabad Capital Territory Private Educational Institutions (Registration and Regulation) Bill, 2013”, while a bill about renaming the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and giving it university status was referred to the standing committee concerned despite opposition by the PML-N and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
Opposing the move, Opposition Leader Ishaq Dar said that although the PML-N respected the politicians, but it did not consider it appropriate to rename the Quaid-e-Azam Medical College – a name already being used by PIMS – as Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University. He said the opposition had apprehensions about the content of the bills too.
“According to the bill, all the public and private sector medical colleges functioning in the federal capital as well as the medical faculty of Quaid-e-Azam University will automatically be deactivated and become part of the new university with the formation of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University,” he said.
He advised that the bill should not be passed in haste as there were two weeks left in the tenure of the National Assembly, so it should be given to a standing committee. He said that Senator Raza Rabbani might also be invited to the committee to elucidate the legal aspects of the bill.
Minister Nazar Gondal assured the House that the government was making a separate university without changing the name of Quaid-e-Azam Medical College. The Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University will be largest medical university in the country, even bigger than the Agha Khan University of Health Sciences, he added.
AAFIA SIDDIQUI:
On a point of order moved by Senator Mushahid Hussain‚ Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that all out efforts were being made for an early repatriation of Aafia Siddiqui from the United States. He said that the Foreign Office was looking into the matter. He said a meeting would be held in this regard with Dr Fauzia Siddiqui and the government would proceed according to the desire of Dr Aafia Siddiqui and her sister.
He told the House that India had apologised for accusing a deceased Pakistani lawmaker for involvement in the Hyderabad blasts.
Senator Kamil Agha said that despite the lapse of 10 years, the Pakistani governments had failed to secure the release of Dr Aaafia Siddiqui from a US prison. He asked why the government had not responded to Ramzi Clark’s letter, which was written eight months ago for the safe release of Dr Aafia. He said that if the letter had reached the presidency, the president could have signed an agreement for Dr Aafia’s release, and she could have spent her remaining sentence in Pakistan.
KISHANGANGA PROJECT:
Replying to a calling attention notice regarding the partial decision by the International Court of Arbitration on Kishanganga hydroelectricity project in response to Pakistan’s appeal for interim measure against the dam‚ Minister of State for Water and Power Tasneem Ahmad Qureshi informed the House that in the short order, Pakistan’s reservations had been considered and the final judgement would be announced in December this year.
He said the judgement was not against Pakistan, but in its favour.
Taking part in the discussion, Senator Farhatullah Babar dispelled the impression that the arbitration award was a legal defeat for Pakistan.
Explaining, he said that Pakistan had put two questions of legal nature before the Court of Arbitration. The court has given its conclusive determination on one question, while on the second question the final award would be given later in December.