FROM A RINGSIDE SEAT

As a rule budget debates should concentrate on the framework of annual financial policy. As well as how typical weaknesses should be overcome. However, lawmakers are political animals and they seldom touch on delivery of public services in their speeches but on the political impact of fiscal policies on their respective party or on constituents.
However, the trend is towards Members leaving the House after having their say never to return, as if the speech was meant only for the record. And the protest walkouts also continue. We found the Combined Opposition in the Senate embarking on a token walkout to protest the killing of the Jamait Tulaba student in Karachi and the death (judicial killing remarked Raza Rabbani, the leader of opposition in the Senate) in Kot Lakhpat prison two days ago. Also we witnessed rancour in the National Assembly between state finance Minister Omar Ayub Khan and PPP chief Whip Syed Khurshid Ali Shah.
Noticing the disagreement, Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain wondered why if all other institutions can come together what ailed the parliamentarians in resolving ordinary matters. He was also tolerant to Karachi MNA Wasim (MQM). He allowed him to read a news item in the House alleging that the Speaker had dumped the two references against cricket hero Imran Khan, and assured him that he would decide after he was free from the budget session, but the matter was now being examined in his secretariat.
In spite of the advice to avoid speaking in the afternoon because the Media would be absent, Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali stood up to report that his and his son's name is missing from the voters' list. Then Jamali moved on to other matters, of resource management and the lack of sovereignty of the parliament prevented parliamentarians from playing their due role in public expenditure management.
The Parliament being one of the four pillars of the state, parliamentarians had a duty to ensure free, fair and honest elections. In this regard he referred to the handsome amount allocated to districts and union councils. Was it good public expenditure management or an attempt at tainting the election.
He said every organ of the state was obliged to work within the confines of the parameter laid down in the constitution, and suggested patience, tolerance and flexibility in government conduct.
The government should respect the Opposition mandate; they were elected in the same way as the ruling party. 'One can't expect first class results from machinery that is second class and third category labour,' as he put it.
He had spoken in the Assembly to exercise caution about the President's presence at the 'carnival' held near the Parliament House on May 12. He alleged that the Muslim League Party was being run dictatorially, and he had left the party in frustration. This is being corroborated by PML secretary general Mushahid Husain Sayed's recent statement that things might not have gone worse to the extent they did on the Chief Justice issue if he or his party leader Shujaat Husain was consulted in advance.
Incidentally, we also learnt from Jamali that Mushahid Hussain was stepping in as the next Information Minister. Jamali also reiterated with reference to President's statement of a day earlier that the judicial reference should be 'left to the court,'. Equally, he advised the Media to respect the value of self restraint, referring to the position of the media as the fourth pillar of the state, quoting Quaid-i-Azam's saying that 'nations and states rise and fall together.'
About sundry matters, he questioned why Richard Boucher, the American secretary of state, should see the Chief Election Commissioner, or Opposition leaders raise local matters with him.
Among the good points heard on Friday, the fourth day of the debate, was Minister Sikandar Hayat Bosan's affirmation that the government's active support to his agriculture sector. Rice, wheat, gram and potatoes' production had increased as a consequence of government policy to improve agriculture and livestock and make it to competitive.
M P Bhandara wanted to attack the galloping population that is eating away all progress. Pakistan should have no more than 1.3 per cent population growth and he was certain this could be achieved if couples contemplating marriage should agree to four medical tests for thalassemia, B and C hepatitis, as well file sworn affidavit with the government to limit their family to no more than 2 children.
The government would deposit Rs 500,000 in their saving bank account to been cashed after the couple reached the age of 45. He also referred to 175 billion tons of Thar coal deposits that could be utilised to generate 20,000 MW of power and thus get rid of power crisis. A scheme for positioning of the federal capital was proposed by Nayyer Hussain Bokhari.
He suggested an Assembly for Islamabad as well as local recruitment in police and educational institutions. A number of good suggestions also came from woman Members. Although MNA Fiza Junejo attacked the government for inactivity in increasing even one unit of electricity, a veritable war of statistics was on between Sherry Rahman and state minister for economic affairs Hina Rabbani Khar.
The former reported two million people had been left out from the Voters registration and accused Nadra for disenfranchising the population, and in addition complained of non transparency in the Privatisation Commission.
Minister Khar dubbed such talk of fudged statistics as myth, challenging the statistics quoted by some Members. These were fictitious reports, not from the World Bank. Minister Zobeida Jalal said special children, and children of the labour community, would be paid Rs 300 to send children to schools.
A beneficial suggestion also came from Senator Seema Siddiqui. She suggested provision of free special pumps and subsidised medicines for thalassemia patients. In her opinion electricity shortage could be controlled if people in the villages were equipped with solar plants that would cost only Rs 5000. India had achieved success in this.
With regard to other matters it was a pleasure to learn that Assembly public relations staff takes care of the coverage of the Leader of the Opposition. This afternoon, Thomas Tex, political counsellor of the British High Commission called on Maulana Sahib, and Assembly television and photographers crew were there to help.