ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani Tuesday said that he had received a report pertaining to Shakil Afridi issue but could not make it public.
He was responding to lawmakers’ “reservations” over the government’s “attitude” towards the issue.
“This is a serious and sensitive issue and could not be disclosed in the open house,” said Sanjrani while responding to opposition senators. He also invited those who wanted a briefing on the Shakeel Afridi issue. But the senators insisted that it was a matter of national importance and it should be shared with them. “If it is a sensitive issue then an in-camera session might be called,” they opined.
Earlier, former Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani told the House that interior and foreign secretaries would be responsible if Afridi leaves the country. He regretted that both the ministries were trying their level best to keep the “information hidden”.
JI Senator Mushtaq Ahmad was of the view that everything should be presented in front of parliament. He said that Justice Javed report had revealed that 400 drone attacks were carried out in FATA, while more than 4,000 people were handed over to US. He said that nothing should be kept hidden from parliament.
Meanwhile, taking part in budget debate, PML-N Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq said budget statistics reflected improvements made in all sectors during the last five years. She said all economic indicators were weak when the PML-N government assumed power in 2013. “Now growth rate is the highest in a decade and inflation is at the lowest level.” She said only 20,000MW electricity was produced in the last 60 years, “but our government added more than 12,000 MW in a short span of five years”.
Senator Usman Khan Kakar of Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party said the budget represented the interests of rich class only and no consideration had been given to the poor and lower middle class. He said development budget had been slashed, which would have negative consequences.
Referring to the health sector, Senator Dr Mehr Taj Roghani of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf said that the proportion of children with stunted growth stood at 44 percent in the country, which was higher than that of regional countries. She said enough allocation had not been made in the new budget to increase literacy rate. She stressed more investment in youth for a brighter Pakistan.
FATA Senator Aurangzeb Khan said budget could not be termed pro-poor. He demanded due share of FATA in the NFC. He said infrastructure had been destroyed in FATA due to the war against terrorism. He said only Rs 90 billion had been earmarked for the reconstruction, which was not enough.
Earlier, Minister for Health Regulations Saira Afzal Tarar stressed the need to double the quota of students from FATA and Balochistan in various medical colleges of the country. She said this was a one-time provision of doubling the quota and from next year, they would avail regular quota.
She was responding to a calling attention notice, which was moved by senators Aurangzeb Khan, Hilalur Rehman, Sajjad Hussain Turi, Haji Momin Khan Afridi, and Hidayat ullah.
Published in Daily Times, May 9th 2018.
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