The government on Monday assured the Senate that the sub-committee on inter-provincial harmony would thrash out its recommendations as early as possible. Leader of the House, Senator Wasim Sajjad said that the government was fully alive to the situation and would try to draft a consensus set of recommendations. The House as usual resumed business with 45 minutes delay. Monday's was the fourth sitting and not even on a single day, proceedings started on time.
Wasim Sajjad was responding to a volley of points of order by the opposition senators, who called for early finalisation of the recommendations with particular reference to addressing Balochistan situation.
Leader of the Opposition, Mian Raza Rabbani wanted to know why the government had delayed conveying its viewpoint on provincial autonomy while all parties had already done their bit.
Senator Rabbani demanded of the leader of the House to put pressure on the government to give its stance on the quantum of provincial autonomy.
Senator Rehmatullah Khan Kakar of MMA rose to ask; did the government take any notice of the three-day debate on Balochistan and what exactly had been its impact on its policy?
Minister for Privatisation Dr Abdul Hafeez Shiekh, responding to points of order by Rabbani and Professor Khurshid Ahmed, said that the KESC privatisation was transparent and the workers interests had been fully safeguarded.
"It is a record that not s single worker has been sacked ever-since the government privatised the State entities," he pointed out.
The minister agreed with a proposal, floated by the opposition that the KESC privatisation should be debated in the House.
Hafeez Shaikh said that the government's policy on privatisation was bipartisan, as it was during PPP and PML tenures.
He made it clear that for seven years, Nepra, not the Saudi firm would determine the power tariff.
Earlier, newsmen, covering the proceedings, staged a walkout, against the inordinate delay in the implementation of the wage award, and filing of a case against a reporter in Karachi, for his story on Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
State Minister for Interior, Dr Shahzad Wasim, Chief Whip, Senator Kamil Ali Agha came to the Press Lounge and after certain assurances, the journalist fraternity returned to the Press Gallery.
Later, Shahzad Wasim informed the House about the concerns of the journalists about their colleague and non-implementation of the wage award.
MQM senators, including Babar Khan Ghauri, Ahmed Ali and Professor Saeed Siddiqui smelled a conspiracy behind some news reports, which they said were aimed at destabilising the government.
Senator Ahmed Ali asserted that his party was not only opposed to use of force in Balochistan, but also in any part of the country.
The MQM Senators strongly rejected a report that suggested that the party workers burnt the national flag.
They demanded of the President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to beware of such conspiracy.
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