Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz reassured his colleagues and allies as well as parliamentary opposition for completion of constitutionally-mandated term of the House while he chose to have the last word on the last day of the general budget debate Monday night.
Terming it as developmental budget he dispelled the rumours on the life of the parliamentary term floating in the House all the day. Responding to Khurshid Shah's proposal he offered to make the budget in future with the co-operation of the Opposition.
'My doors are open to the Opposition and I would like to meet them in carrying out this endeavour together.' But he said the government would do all it takes to provide full resources for the Armed forces who help their countrymen in distress and difficulties.
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain also took this opportunity to reinforce the message of co-operation for treasury benches with the Opposition in handling national issues such as forthcoming polls.
State Finance Minister Omar Ayub in his winding up speech announced acceptance of 51 out of 90 recommendations sent by the Senate, but no increase in pay or pension was announced. This was a recurring demand of nearly all Opposition members contending that the present food inflation at 10 percent was much less than 12, and 16 percent of previous governments. Unlike the past, this budget document did not contain fudged figures. There was continuity of policies and had taken Pakistan on the path of much greater progress.
However, every in the morning was talking about what would happen in the country July 10? After Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid's quizzical statement of yesterday night that elections might be advanced, most knowledgeable persons inside the Assembly were talking that the question would be wrapped up after the passage of the budget.
Balochistan Member Mahmmood Khan Achakzai repeated the rumour on the floor of the House. His thesis: in all likelihood, the Prime Minister was considering to advise the President to dissolve the National Assembly. MNA Achakzi sounded a warning that holding elections at this inhospitable time would prove dangerous.
According to him, intelligence boys were busy to spoil the democratic choices of the people. They were spending Rs 5 millions and three millions (total Rs 1.5 billion) respectively in 100 NA and 200 PA constituencies in an attempt to pre rig the coming election. 'The rigging game has started.'
Reminding the tragedies of the past elections, he said elections in the present denouement would prove non-productive, and then he asked for framing a new constitution - this suggestion was also made a few days ago by another prominent Baloch politician, Mir Zafarullh Khan Jamali.
Achakzai argued the people of Balochistan, Fata and Seraiki belt, Punjab, Pakhtuns, who have lived within their territories since thousands of years, were now eager to draw up a new social contract under a constitution to inspire integration and live like brothers pledging utmost love for Pakistan.
By the way, the Assembly was scene of intense activity since early morning, after the arrival of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, Pakistan Muslim League President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed. The PML President and Secretary General arrived around 10:30 and this improved the attendance, though real proceedings began after 11.
Thereafter, we heard that Information Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani had submitted his resignation, and that Mushahid would not agree to take the job. We also heard people speculating that Law Minister is being eased out, and Sheikh Rashid might take over as the PML Secretary General. The reason, according to the wags, might be that the two ministers had erred in handling the media after the Chief Justice crisis erupted.
There was some talk in the lobbies that the Prime Minister was in favour of dissolving the House after the budget but his party colleagues wished that the session should be prolonged for a few more days. This scribe was advised to check out this matter with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afgan.
Now, if it is being said that the Assembly would be dissolved the next step is holding of election within 90 days, according to the Constitution. (With reference to talk of packing up of the legislature Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain while trying to quiet the squabble between Achakzai and Religious Affairs Minister Ijazul Haq remarked, 'No one should be happy with the dissolution)
This did not tally with Achakzai who had advised that the election should not be held in a polarised atmosphere. However, after talking to Achakzai we learnt he heard the dissolution talk from a number of ministers and also high ranking officials.
Mujeeb Pirzada, and other members recited the constitutional history of the country and the words of the Objectives Resolution that that 'the State shall exercise its power and authority through the chosen representatives of the people.
In this regard Achakzai referred to Quaid-i-Azam's address at the Staff College, Quetta where he had reminded that the military had sworn oath of allegiance to the dominion of Pakistan and all orders to them must come from the Governor General the constitutional head of the government.
Imran Khan, after returning from presenting his legal case in Britain against the MQM chief, wanted justice for all, but regretted the absence of Rule of Law. The only hope rests of recalling this missing concept to this land if the Chief Justice's crusade for restoring independence to state succeeds.
More than 35 members spoke in the House during the day. Deputy Speaker Sardar Yaqoob announced seven minutes for each member. This time limit was seldom adhered to, but Speaker certainly showed greater generosity in leaning towards Opposition members and giving them time.
This helped the House to listen to a number of grouses of Sindh, including the disappearance of two individuals (Ramesh Lal), the alleged murder on Monday morning of a journalist, Nisar Solangi, the unpleasant situation when no one in Sindh could venture outdoors about after dusk, unemployment of youth (Mir Ali Shah, Yusuf Talpur), adequate funds allotted to Baitul Mal, free dialysis of indigent people in the villages and placement of dialysis centres in each at union and tehsil hospitals (Rubina Shaheen), closure of PIA offices at 8pm instead of being open at all hours (Shagufta Jumani), global warning (Farooq Sattar).
Liaquat Baloch pleaded handsome treatment for the media, and the MNA from Sukkur, Syed Khurshid Shah pleaded that the time had now come for the elected representative to write the budget. It should not be prepared bureaucracy, and handsome pay to neglected teaching cadre.
Inevitably last year's incident at Nishtar Park in which 50 people lost their lives also resounded in the Hall MQM members tried to record their reaction saying it was wrongly being ascribed to MQM. In addition MQM parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar, Kanwar Khalid Yunus objected to some remarks concerning leader Altaf Hussain and asked those words be expunged. Farooq Sattar also referred to the budget and brought up the ugly darkness of Karachi and asked that the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) mismanagement should be set right at once.
The House this morning passed a unanimous resolution against Salman Rushdi's knighthood conferred on the infamous writer Salman Rushdie, with Ministers Ijazul Haq and Sher Afgan, Chaudhry Shahbaz saying the knighthood was insult to the Muslim people of the entire world. The Resolution, moved by Mehnaz Rafi received universal agreement of each member of the House that wanted the UK government to recall the knighthood.
Fauzia Wahab stated that the resolution would give more prominence to Rushdie whereas it would be best to ignore him. A good point made during the speeches was that the West had initiated an agenda of interfaith harmony but the grant of this award was in opposition to this spirit.
Khawaja Asif complained the resolution was an evidence of two faces of the government. On one hand President Musharraf was one of the tight friends of Tony Blair, and on the other hand we were condemning an action taken by the UK Prime Minister.
Diversion: Algerian parliamentary delegation led by Chairman of Senate Bin Saleh listened to the proceedings of the National Assembly after Maghreb.