Balochistan MPAs book the day for Pak-India clash

As cricket fever has overwhelmed the entire nation, the Balochistan Provincial Assembly Members (MPAs) are also feeling the heat of Pakistan versus India semi-final.

All most all the MPAs, including the speaker, have cancelled their official engagements to watch the Pakistan-India encounter on Wednesday. They said that they had full confidence in the abilities of Afridi XI, adding that the team would not only defeat India but also bring the World Cup back to the country.

 

11 members of Unification Bloc quit standing committees

ISLAMABAD: Eleven members of PML-Q’s Unification Bloc announced their decision to step down as heads of provincial standing committees.

They submitted their resignations to Law Minister Rana Sanaullah instead of Punjab Assembly’s Speaker as per rules.

The Unification Bloc, in a meeting last week, had decided not to accept ministries and give up chairmanship of standing committees.

They, therefore, tendered their resignations to Law Minister Rana Sanaullah today.

The government is trying to persuade them to continue holding these offices. No decision has been made yet to accept their resignations.

Unification Bloc’s Sheikh Alauddin, who is head of Ashiana Housing Scheme, is yet to tender his resignation. TrendPK

US: John Boehner elected Speaker in House of Representative

The 112th Congress of the United States was called and John Boehner was elected as Speaker in the House of Representatives.

In his first address as the House’s top member, Boehner focused on cutting the government’s record deficit and creating jobs. He replaced Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat whose party lost to the Republicans last year in the mid-term elections. Our spending has caught up with us, and our debt will soon eclipse the size of our entire economy. Hard work and tough decisions will be required, said Boehner. Before Boehner spoke, Pelosi addressed the lawmakers and introduced Boehner. In the House of Representatives, 87 new Republican members and nine new Democrats were sworn in at noon, shifting control of the chamber officially to the Republican party. Republicans now hold a 242-193 edge in the House.

LHC moved for Governor Taseers disqualification

A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court seeking disqualification of Governor Punjab Salman Taseer.

The petitioner argued that the Governor had not intimated anyone before leaving for Sri Lanka, which is against the Article 104 of the Constitution and thus he be disqualified. He added that no acting Governor was made in his (Taseer) place even when the Speaker of Punjab Assembly could be made.

The federal government , DG FIA and Principal Secretary to Governor Taseer are made parte in the case.

China will stand by Pakistan thru thick and thin, assures Wen

Terming Pak-China friendship as evergreen, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao assured consistent support to combat the difficulties facing Pakistan, saying that both the countries will continue to stand by each other in future, trendpk.com reported Sunday.

Addressing the joint session of the Parliament, Jiabao said Pakistan gave emergency aid to China when it faced great earthquake in 2008.

Chinese public and army made it possible for the relief good to access to far-flung areas amidst recent flash floods in Pakistan. Wen Jiabao is the first Chinese top executive and 13th among world personalities to address the joint session of the Parliament. Pakistani people are a great nation and I feel at home here. Pak-china friendship is in our blood; this is an evergreen friendship, he stressed adding Pakistanis and Chinese are brothers.In all decisive moments Pakistan stood by China, he said adding China will help Pakistan in every thick and thin.He hoped that Pakistani people will come over the troubles facing it and the Sino government and people will stand by them to jointly brave these troubles away.Jiabao said Pak-China relations will get stronger as the time passes. The seventh anniversary of bilateral ties is about to come when the two countries will attempt to forge together constantly to help each other.Terrorism be not linked to a particular religion and dual standards should not be adopted in this connection, he said.On this occasion, Chinese PM pledged to give at least 500 scholarships to Pakistani students; China will conduct at least 2000 cataract operations. He said China will also offer 100 Pakistani people to opportunities to learn Chinese language. He also recalled a Pakistan saying, A good neighbor is Allahs blessing, and narrated a parallel China saying which says, Value your neighbor more than your relatives living far away.

Later, while addressing the parliament, PM Gilani thanked the Chineses PM for addressing the joint session, acknowledging the deep-rooted friendship between both the countries.

Pak-China friendship has been testified through years, and announced to celebrate 2011 as Pak-China Friendship Year. Out ties are very strong, the PM maintained.

Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar, while addressing, said that Wens address would lead to new vistas of Pak-China friendship. Its a historical day; Pakistan would always prove itself an all-weather friend to China.

The session commenced with the recitation of the holy signs from Glorious Quran. On this occasion, massive security arrangements were made avert any untoward incident.

Earlier, Chairman Senate Farooq H Naik received the honorable guest on his arrival at the House to address the joint session. A four-point agenda has been set for the session.Later on, Speaker National Assembly Dr Fahmida Mirza, who is currently presiding the joint session, presented the reception speech in honor of the Chinese Premier. She address the honorable guest, We attach great importance to your address today, as we want to hear a great visionary who earned laurels as great statesman. She said the address the of the third Chinese Prime Minister is a historic occasion.

The parliament is proud to hear Chinese PM address it, she added wrapping her speech with Long Live Pak China Friendship. Chinese PM Jiabaos address to this joint session of parliament marks the wrap-up of three-day visit to Islamabad that concluded deals worth around 35 billion dollars.

Coalition on the rocks:JUI-F decides to join Opposition benches in Centre

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam on Thursday announced to sit on the Opposition benches in the joint session of the Parliament convened by the President on Dec 18, trendpk.com learnt.

Sources revealed that the JUI is likely to give a proper application to the Speaker National Assembly to get their seats allotted in Opposition benches. Former federal minister Maulana Ataur Rehman who resigned in protest against the sacking of Azam Swati, ex-minister for Science & Technology, has returned his official vehicle and staff and vacated his office as well, party sources divulged. On the other hand, JUI is also considering to part ways with the provincial governments both in Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan.

JUI ministers from GB and Balochistan met with Maulana Fazalur Rehman and deliberated upon the status quo.

Maulana also asked his partys ministers to stay ready to quit anytime soon. It merits to mention that Haji Gulbar Khan, Minister for Health, Youth Affairs and Ashr-o-Zakat besides two parliamentary secretaries at GB. Balochistans Deputy Speaker Syed Mutee Ullah also belonged to JUI besides three other cabinet ministers.

The JUI-F had first announced its decision to part ways with the PPP-led coalition government after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani sacked JUI-F member and Minister for Science and Technology Azam Khan Swati from the federal cabinet.

Earlier, Federal Minister for Defence Ahmed Mukhtar has stated that Pakistan Peoples Party had chalked out a strategy to bring JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman back into the government. He was optimistic that PPP would woo Maulana, adding that he would return to the government soon.

Sanaullah plays prank on Taseer

An interesting situation is witnessed on Wednesday when Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah expressed concern over the disappearance of Governor Taseer, who was later found in Sukkur.

When contacted, Governor Punjab Salman Taseer told News Trends via phone that he is in Sukkur to attend his friends marriage and would reach Karachi by evening today.

Earlier, while talking to media outside the Punjab Assembly, Rana hinted at filing a reference against the Governor, who, he said, had gone to abroad sans intimation. If we dont get any information regarding his whereabouts, the Speaker Punjab would be asked to take over as acting Governor,a seemingly concerned Sanaullah told the reporters. He also directed the IG Punjab to search out the Governor at the earliest.

PM Reaches Afghnaistan on 2-day official visit

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has reached Afghanistan on a two-day official visit, trendpk.Com reported on Saturday.

The prime minister would meet with Afghan president Hamid Karzai, Vice-President Muhammad Karim Khalili, Speaker Younas Qanoni, Chairman High Council for Peace Burhan-ul-Din Rabbani and Afghan traders during his visit. The prime minister would also inaugurate Pakistan Embassy Complex in Kabul. The purpose of the visit of the prime minister is to ameliorate the existing bilateral relations between the two countries. The prime minister would take Hamid Karzai in to confidence on matters of common interest.

National Assembly’s session adjourned after unrest due to price hike

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The ongoing session of National Assembly has been adjourned after unrest due to the recent price hike in the country.

According to details after the start of today’s session in the National Assembly, opposition members began a very hot debate over the issue of the ongoing price hike of necessities and growing inflation throughout the country.

The debate gradually became more heated and chaotic as members of the ruling and opposition parties went out of control.

Seeing no other way to control the house, the speaker adjourned the session till tomorrow.

During this fiery debate, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) member Khushbakht Shujaat said that if fake degree holders can reach the Parliament, then surly they can be found in educational institutes as well. Trend Pk

Ready to play role to make Parliament capable: Ch. Nisar

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Opposition leader in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, has said that if the governance norms do not change then we are ready to play a role to make the Parliament capable of its task.

Ch. Nisar said, during his National Assembly’s address on Thursday, that the Charter of Democracy (COD) has been implemented only 25 percent, instead of the claimed 80 percent.

He added that the Prime Minister presented, before the public, a twisted version on martial law and mid-term elections while just because of the ignorance of the government, the Accountability Bill has turned a victim of delay.

“The Speaker of the National Assembly must take a suo moto action against the attack on the house of an honorable member,” Chaudhry Nisar added. Trend Pk

Next Page »