Corruption claims in rental power deals rock NA

[Naveed Yaseen]

* Power minister, PML-Q leader engage in verbal clash
* Opp criticises govt for not tabling report on Gojra riots
* Malik says report would be completed in three weeks

By Zulfiqar Ghuman

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) demand for a parliamentary commission to investigate reports of alleged corruption in deals with rental power stations triggered a verbal clash between Power Minister Power Raja Pervez Ashraf and PML-Q Parliamentary Leader Faisal Saleh Hayat in the National Assembly on Friday.

But before the situation deteriorated, Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi prorogued the session sine die amid criticism by opposition members who wanted to speak, but were disallowed despite repeated promises by the deputy speaker.

Enraged by the demand for an investigation by a parliamentary commission, Ashraf accused Faisal of quoting wrong figures in the NA, and challenged him to prove his allegations or resign.

Faisal accepted the challenge, and said that he would resign from his NA seat if he could not prove his points before a parliamentary commission. He wanted to respond to Ashraf’s claims, the but deputy speaker did not give him time although he had promised Faisal would be allowed to speak after Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Earlier, on a point of order, Faisal welcomed an offer by federal Minister for Labour and Manpower Khurshid Shah for parliamentary investigation into the reported allegations of corruption in his ministry, and demanded that the same offer be made by the minister for water and power.

“The rental power stations will be formalised at a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee today, which will be unfair to the people of Pakistan in the absence of a proper investigation. My party also tabled an adjournment motion in accordance with the prime minister’s desire, but the government did not act on it,” said Faisal.

He also criticised the government for not tabling a report on the Gojra riots despite a unanimous National Assembly resolution. “The government talks of empowering parliament, but always ignores its resolutions,” he said. The PML-Q parliamentary leader said the government praised the Supreme Court’s decision on the 2007 emergency, but ignored its directive to decide the fate of about 37 ordinances in parliament.

“The PML-Nawaz always talks of a trial for [former president Pervez] Musharraf under Article 6, but if it is really serious, why is a resolution not passed in the Punjab Assembly?” he said.

Ashraf said; “Yes ... power rentals are being installed. Otherwise, we’ll have to face load shedding for 30 years. I am answerable to the people, parliament, the prime minister and, above all, to God. I have done all in good faith and in a transparent manner.”

He said that he was not afraid of any investigation by any commission. “But at the same time, I will say if the MNA from Jhang fails to prove his claims, he should resign from the NA and go home to Jhang,” he said.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the NA that Maulana Ali Sher Haideri was killed in a dispute over a plot of land. About the Gojra riots, the minister said a judicial commission had recorded statements by 300 Christian and 700 Muslim witnesses. “The report is likely to be completed in three weeks ... it will be tabled in the House,” he added.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...009_pg7_24