Performance report of JI senators issued

Senators from Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan Professor munna Ahmed, Professor Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and Aafia Zia on Sunday issued their performance report during the last four years in the Senate of Pakistan. All the three senators of JI have completed their tenure on March 11.
Parliamentary Leader of JI in the Senate Professor Khurshid Ahmed said that it was our duty to present our performance report before people. The JI senators raised their voice over almost all the important issues pertaining to Pakistani masses in general and Muslim Ummah especially. The JI senators presented their stand through submission of questions, adjournment motions, motions, call attention notices, notices under rule 194, privilege motions and amendments to the government laid bills.
While giving the separate figures of all this business he said that there were more than 1,000 questions, over 400 adjournments motions, over 246 motions under rule 194, 228 call attention notices, over 310 motions and 4 privilege motions submitted to the Upper House of the Parliament during this period.
Public issues specifically raised in the Senate from time to time contained day-to-day increase in petroleum, electricity, gas and commodity prices, and a private bill was also submitted in this connection named as "A bill to Control Increase in the Commodity Prices 2010". Change in the syllabus, uniform education system throughout the country, grievances faced by earthquake victims and the government's poor performance thereof, interior and foreign policies of the government, hardships faced by farmers, issues related to Hajj pilgrims, the price hike, bombing during Ramadhan, raising voice against the abduction, torture and killings of journalists and likewise issues were also raised from time to time on the floor of the Senate. The JI senators also submitted a private bill named as "The Journalists Protection and Welfare Bill '2011'" in the Senate. Successive price hike, increasing unemployment and day-to-day suicide incidents due to far increasing poverty level in the country were also the key issues focused on. A Constitutional Amendment Bill was also presented in 2010 to deter the increasing rate of suicide incidents in the country.
The JI senators not only raised the grievances faced by handicapped through call attention notices but they also submitted an eight pages' bill named as "Persons with disabilities bill '2010'". They also submitted notices against NRO and other disputed issues and successively reiterated their stand that termed such an attitude is unfair for legislation and that all the legislation should be met through parliament. The JI senators also submitted their amendments to the government bills.
Almost all the ministries/divisions' performance was also demanded to be discussed which included apart from other ministries of Women Development, Education, Privatisation Commission, Utility Stores Corporation, Communication, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Law, Information and Broadcasting.
The JI senators raised their strong voice against all the government moves against Islamic norms and culture, which included a strong protest against publishing of caricatures, moral devaluation in the country, internet cafe, obscene CDs, snooker clubs, closure of Sheesha centers and also to promote legislation in accordance with the Islamic Ideological Council, insecurity of masajid, imambargahs and religious leaders, etc.
Voice was also raised against Pakistan's playing a front-state role in the so-called 'war-on-terror' and targeting its own citizens with drone strikes in this connection and the US interference in Pakistan's interior matters, foreign policy affairs. A detailed reports regarding martyrdom of Amir Cheema Shaheed, Dr Afia Siddiqui's detention and her release from the American custody were demanded from time to time. The JI senators also demanded for a strong action against indiscrimination to women and children and the row of their abduction. Working women issues were also raised and amendments were submitted for the welfare of working women in the upper house.
Government actions were demanded for the welfare of old aged and pensioners. Implementation of the Supreme Court decisions was successively demanded. Deteriorating situation of FATA, Swat, Balochistan and other parts of the country were continuously focused. Actions taken by the government on increasing traffic accidents was also focused. A motion was submitted in the senate for continuous negligence to announcing Urdu as the official language of the country as per the Constitution of Pakistan, and this issue was once again raised through discussion in the senate. Voice against ill-mannered attempts against Namoos-e-Risalat Act was also raised. Performance and issues of Railways, demand of omission of expiry date in the national ID Card was also reiterated. Sale of substandard and expensive life-saving drugs, Swat operation and collateral damaged caused in the result of this operation also remained key issues for JI senators. Voice on the Balochistan issue was continuously raised in the Upper House. Sad incident of killing of innocent Chechen women in Balochistan, terrorism and target killing in Karachi were also focused. According to a calculation, the most focused area for the JI senators was the issue of price hike, petroleum prices and Karachi violence. The government's support and salute to former dictator Pervez Musharraf was also strongly condemned. Increasing corruption in the government institutions/organisations, rental power projects, petroleum development levy and likewise issues were also raised through adjournment motions. Delay in the Lowary Tunnel project, activities in the American Blackwater within the country, farmer's killing during strike in Sindh, privilege motion against submission of Electronic Crime Ordinance in the Senate in spite of its expiry, receipt of hidden charges in IESCO bills, EOBI corruption, Peshawar mishap and killings of Jamiat and Jama'at Islami leaders and workers, closure of private TV channels and Pemra's sanctions on media, bomb blasts on Data Darbar, Abdullah Shah Ghazi and Pak Pattan shrines and other areas of Pakistan were also raised in the Senate. Martyrdom of innocent students in result of their torture in police supervision at Sialkot, protest against the sacrilege of Qur'an at Florida - US by a church official, Bill for recitation and teaching of the Holy Qur'an with Nazra, Hifz and tajweed was also submitted in the Senate. Voice against grievances of students and ban on students unions was also raised. Amendments to IRO 2012 were also proposed for the betterment of labourers.
The Kashmir issue was successively raised at the floor of senate.
Constitutional amendments were proposed in Article 9 and 10 for release of the missing persons. This bill aimed at effective ban on detention without judicial proceedings, ban on punishment for such act, handing over any Pakistan and non-Pakistani to any other country without the proper judicial proceedings and its permission. A motion submitted by Senator Professor Khurshid Ahmed in this connection has been unanimously approved by the Senate. Grievances faced by teachers, doctors and clerks were also raised.
Professor Khurshid Ahmed said that the JI senators also raised its effective role in the senate standing committees for the issues of general masses and the overall performance of the institutions.-PR