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Senate session starts amid PPP boycott

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The pre-budget session of the Senate started on Monday as the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians’ (PPPP) boycotted the parliament proceedings as a protest over alleged violence against its activists.

Raza Rabbani, the opposition leader in the Senate, announced that the PPPP would not take part in the session and would continue its protest, stating that the government was conducting raids to arrest opposition workers instead of registering cases against people who were responsible for attacks on PPPP workers. During the session, senators belonging to both the opposition and the government came up with proposals regarding the 2007-08 budget.

The opposition senators suggested steps for the improvement of the agricultural, industrial and services sectors and also pressed the government to improve law and order in the country to attract more foreign investment. Senator Saadia Abbasi said that industrial and manufacturing sectors had registered “negative growth” during the current financial year. “The government should concentrate on improving skilled labour and creating job opportunities,” she said, adding the government should also try to control high production costs that were creating problems for the industrial sector in the international market.

Liaquat Bangalzai said law and order was the biggest challenge facing the country, along with problems such as price hikes and unemployment. He said that the government should develop the agriculture sector, which, he said, would provide raw material for industry. Senator Naeem Hussain Chattha said that the agriculture sector should be promoted “as the base of local industry” by giving more incentives to farmers.

Senator Mushahid Hussain, referring to the current economic situation, said that the government had shifted its focus to China and Middle East countries as sources of foreign investment and that the this policy had started to pay dividends. Several other senators also gave proposals during the session and the house was adjourned till today (Tuesday). The debate is likely to conclude on Friday.

Earlier, the house referred a privilege motion, moved by Senator Abdul Razzaq, to the committee concerned, while Senator Mushahid presented the foreign committee’s report on Pakistan’s relations with regional countries.

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