ISLAMABAD – Senators on Friday put the debate on president’s address to the joint sitting of parliament on second priority and raised other national issues.
Taking part in the debate, Senator Abdur Rahim Mandokhel urged the government to evolve a strategy for implementing the unanimous resolution passed by the joint sitting of the parliament.
Without referring anyone, he said those giving decree of murder were being patronised and protected. Without mentioning the culprits, he said Pashtuns were being targeted in Karachi. “No opportunity is being missed to kill Pashtuns,” he lamented and asked the interior minister to look into the issue seriously.
He praised President Asif Ali Zardari for his decision to surrender his powers under the 18th Amendment. He said it was a moral obligation of all political parties to join hands to overcome extremism, terrorism, unemployment and crimes besides improving national economy. Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan also focused more on national issues and less on the president’s last month address. He said each of the three parties in power in Sindh province were speaking the truth regarding the activities of the other two, but do not lay out facts when it comes to their own activities in the province.
He said the PPP adopted the same path that was followed by the MQM. Khan lashed out at the Centre, Punjab government and the ISI for playing a “negative” role in the release of, Raymond Davis. He said that major political parties of Balochistan were involved in corruption in the Watan Cards scheme and criticised the promulgation of the ordinance to impose Flood Surcharge.
He said parliament should have enacted a new law in this regard. He also criticised the government for the hike in petroleum prices. The JI senator also demanded the passage of a resolution by parliament to condemn the desecration of the holy Quran by Pastor Terry Jones.
Senator Sajid Hussian Zaidi said there was a need to take concrete measures to overcome target killings, abductions for ransom and lawlessness in the country.
