Jamali hits out at PML top leadership: National Assembly debate on budget continues

Former premier Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali said on Friday that Pakistan needs a new constitution with a well-defined role of its armed forces. His statement came amid growing criticism on President Musharraf from within the ranks of ruling Pakistan Muslim League.
On Thursday, Senator S.M Zafar suggested President Musharraf to separate two offices of President and Army Chief. A day earlier, PML secretary general Mushahid Hussain Syed also sounded 'calculated' opposition to many steps Musharraf had taken recently.
Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, who complained that his name was missing from the voters list, lambasted the government's policies while taking part in the debate on budget. He bitterly criticised the PML top brass-President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Syed-and said they were running the party affairs in dictator-style. "That was the main reason that I quit the party. Mushahid and Shujaat think themselves above the party," he added.
He said 17 amendments have been made in the 1973 constitution and if someone thinks that a new constitution was needed it should be done with a well-defined role of armed forces.
Former premier was surprised that how the names of his family and close relatives were missing from the new computerised list. He cited some conspiracy behind the move and said the government did not want him to contest next elections. However, he came hard on the opposition parties as well for taking up the issue of non-registration of voters with the visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher.
Though he criticised the government over filing a reference against the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and curbs on media, Mir Zafarullah Jamali urged the opposition parties not to politicise the presidential reference and let the apex court to decide the issue.
He unleashed criticism on the government for holding a PML rally in the capital on May 12, the day when around 48 people were shot dead in Karachi. Jamali equally ridiculed the 'surprise' visits of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to various utility stores, saying it was merely a joke.
The former Prime Minister called for raise in the salaries of government employees up to 20 percent and senior officer by 10 percent besides proposing Rs 6000 minimum wage. He termed the Rs 520 billion Public Sector Development Programme a tactic to win coming general election.
Earlier in the day, the opposition condemned the mortal attack on a military convoy in Balochistan but said it was a backlash of the government's policy of handling political disputes with force. The government, however, said the situation could turn like it was in East Pakistan if terrorists and miscreants were not crushed with power.
Seven army soldiers, a police constable and a passer-by were killed on Thursday night when some armed men ambushed their van near a railway station on the Zarghoon road in Quetta. PPP senior member Syed Qurban Ali Shah told Speaker Amir Hussain that Safron Minister Yar Muhammad Rind has threatened to kill him.
The debate on budget continued on fourth consecutive day. PPP lady member Sherry Rehman said the budget was based on borrowings that would further widen the gap between the rich and poor.
She demanded that the one liner defence budget should be brought to the Parliament for discussion. She also demanded cut in non-development allocations especially that of Prime Minister's House, President House, NAB and Nadra.
A minority member from treasury benches Akram Masih Gill demanded of the government to earmark five percent of the total budget for minorities. Several other opposition and treasury members took part in the budget debate that would most probably be concluded on Tuesday.