Pirzada offended by parliamentary secretary’s ‘derogatory remarks’

* PML MNA asks speaker to take note, but does not press the issue

By Zulfiqar Ghuman

ISLAMABAD: Riaz Hussain Pirzada, a ruling party parliamentarian, has strongly objected to the derogatory remarks made by Maj (r) Tanvir Hussain, parliamentary secretary for defence in the National Assembly, during the house question hour. He asked the speaker to take notice of the situation.

“This parliamentary secretary has made a habit of passing derogatory remarks against members of the house. This is against parliamentary norms. I take notice of his remarks against me and request you too to take note of it,” he requested the speaker.

The speaker later expunged the remarks after both members ceased to press their points further because of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s presence in the house.

Pirzada was at a crossroads with the Maj (r) Hussain when the secretary claimed that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was operating four weekly flights. Pirzada contested the secretary’s claim and said that the airline was operating only two flights each week at present. The secretary promised to look into the facts.Pirzada has often expressed dissent on different issues since he is not happy with the government over the local council elections. He openly accused the Punjab government of rigging the lections in favour of its handpicked candidates.

Maj (r) Hussain told the house that PIA had reduced fares on 16 national routes excluding Lahore-Islamabad. The assembly members objected that if the fares were reduced on 16 routes, why was the Lahore-Islamabad route being neglected.

“PIA fares are adjusted according to open market competition with other private airlines and fuel prices,” said Maj (r) Hussain. He said that there was no proposal to decrease the fares on any more routes.

To another question he said that an enquiry had been ordered into the fraudulent booking and confirmation of tickets on flights that appeared to be fully booked but in fact flew with 30 to 40 empty seats. “After the enquiry is completed, the findings will be presented to the house,” he said.

Minister of Defence Rao Sikandar Iqbal told the NA that the case of exemption of property tax on houses up to five marlas in cantonment areas or not was being considered by the federal government.

The Rawalpindi Cantonment Board has already exempted five-marla houses under its jurisdiction from property tax. According to sources, it is likely that other cantonment areas of the country will follow suite. Minister of Communications Muhammad Shamim Siddique informed the house that 56 percent work on the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway was complete and a 60 kilometre section had been opened to traffic. He said that 27 percent of the Burhan-Peshawar section was complete. “The project will be completed by January 2007,” he said.

Kunwar Khalid Younis asked why the government was only constructing motorways in Punjab and the NWFP and not in Sindh and Balochistan. The minister replied that the government was planning to start the Faisalabad-Karachi Motorway by the next year and the World Bank had agreed to help with the project. “Several highway projects worth Rs 22 billion are underway in Balochistan,” he said.

“We have spent Rs 16.6 billion on the construction and repair of national highways over the last three years,” he informed the house. Siddique said that the NHA had commenced work on the installation of the electronic toll and tariff system (ETTM) on National Highway (N-5). He said that the system would soon be extended to all major highways of the country. The minister said that only 18 dacoities and five robberies took place on the motorway since 2003. “All cases were registered and 36 people have been arrested in connection with the incidents,” he said.

Home | National