Things do happen the way we write in South Asia..
<<Message #43652 from IQBAL LATIF at Mar 1, 2003 6:43 PM
Pakistani government and its main players as I know them well from child hood like Ghous Bux Mehar and Mohd Main Soomro ( they come from St Mary's and 'Foreman Christian College Lahore' respectively) the possible Chairman of Senate and a man heart beat away from the Presidency are fully committed to USA and eradication of terror, the second in command of the Army Joe ( Yusuf) is now a days in US.>>
and today finally he is elected as predicted...I take great pride in seeing a close friend a heart beat away from Pakistani Presidency..as Chairman Senate he is next in line to Mush, and by the way he is great admirer of USA and his son works in NY like Mushes Bilal in Boston.. nice to see some moderates in power.. which Islamic country in the world can see moderates elected to power in present environment, only Pakistan because it is free and stable and Jim Hoagland can eat his heart out.. today by election of pro-US Soomrowe we can say are free and we are committed to America, today the 'mullahs' were defeated. Mr. Hoagland should know that Mr. Bush Jr. knows it well so does Powell, Rumsfield and Cheney, they know Pakistanis are going to deliver.. with the largest of the booty soon.. hopefully..
lets pray Amen..
Soomro elected Senate chairman, Khalil deputy
Opposition boycotts polls; blames ISI for interference; says LFO remains unacceptable; demands date for election of president
By Rauf Klasra & Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: The Senate elected its chairman and deputy chairman on Wednesday amid boycott by the opposition which strongly protested the interference of ISI in Senate polls and demanded that the Agency's political wing be wound up.
Former Sindh Governor Muhammadmian Soomro was elected Chairman and Commander Khalilur Rehman from NWFP as his deputy amid an unprecedented boycott of polls by the opposition.
Both the chairman and deputy chairman were administered oath in the House that had many empty places because of opposition parties boycott. For the disappointment of the Treasury benches about 42 Senators stayed away from the election process for the Chairman and his Deputy. They also did not turn up in the House to participate in the oath taking ceremony and speak on the occasion in line with the established parliamentary traditions.
Almost all the senators on the Treasury benches, who stood up to congratulate the new Chairman, touched the thorny issue of the absence of the opposition members from the proceedings.
They wished that the opposition should have come to the House in the greater interest of democracy because their absence would reflect negatively on the established democratic practices.
That was why the proceedings presided over by the new chairman Mohammadmian Soomro lacked enthusiasm and firework, which was particularly noticed in the press gallery. Earlier, former chairman Senate Wasim Sajjad administered the oath to new Chairman Muhammadmian Soomro, when the session restarted to formally announce the names of the new occupants of the prestigious Senate slots.
Wasim Sajjad was first to congratulate his successor and hoped that he would run the House by taking all the Senators along with him irrespective of their political affiliations. Later, a dozen of senators stood up and congratulated the chairman and spoke on different issues. But the most significant speech of the day was made by SM Zafar, Parliamentary Leader of the ruling party in the Upper House. It was significant that in his speech he made no mention of the Legal Framework Order (LFO), but laid all the stress on the supremacy of parliament.
Zafar said that the country was heading towards a new era in which parliament would have a final say in the affairs of the country. He said the opposition should have participated in the proceedings so the message should have gone across that parliament was the biggest institution.
He hoped that by establishing good governance they would all ensure the supremacy of parliament. He pointed out a troubling trend in the Pakistani society, saying a kind of depression and disappointment had penetrated into the psyche of the masses. He said the culture of dejection and disappointment was taking root, and emphasised that we have to fight against this troubling trend by good governance.
The next noticeable speech was made by Muttahida Qaumi Movemnet Senator Babar Ghauri, who despite being part of the coalition, did not accept the validity of LFO and said parliament was the supreme and sovereign body to decide about such matters of national importance.
He said the Muttahida had serious reservations over the LFO and was for incorporating the same in Constitution by adopting a proper democratic method. However, Ghauri also lashed out at the opposition for boycotting the proceedings, saying they should have been present in the House, adding that instead of making noises .over the LFO, they should have talked about the real issues and problems confronting the people in the House.
Senator Mushahid Hussain addressing the chair said that people have lost confidence in democracy and institutions and that their faith needs to be restored by the leaders. He stressed the need to take the opposition along on every issue in parliament.
Mushahid Hussain said Senate should become a voice of the voiceless and it must talk about the miseries of the deprived nationalities of this land. Addressing the newly elected members the new Chairman Soomro thanked the members for reposing confidence in his person. He said he would treat all the members equally.
Addressing a press conference before the submission of nomination papers for the post of the Senate Chairman and Deputy Chairman election, MMA parliamentary leader Qazi Hussain Ahmed said " a secret agency has picked up the Upper House Chairman and his Deputy, ignoring the 40 other Senate members."
Besides Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the press conference was also addressed by Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Javed Hashmi, Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani, Raza Rabbani, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and Professor Ghafoor Ahmed.
Qazi said the decision to boycott the session was taken during the meeting of the combined opposition in the senate including the MMA, PPPP, PML-N, ANP, BNP, PKMAP, BNM and JWP.
"Ours is the stance that LFO is not a part of the Constitution, and we have taken oath under the 1973 Constitution," he told journalists, adding the country was virtually ruled by the Army."
The Jamaat Amir said that "loyalties secured through horse trading, would be met by us with protest in the Senate during its upcoming session."
He said the opposition demands that the president should quit as army chief, National Security Council be abolished and president be stripped of all discretionary powers. He pointed out that a government representative also verified that the oath taken is not in accordance with the LFO. " The opposition would continue opposing the LFO inside and outside the parliament," he added.
Replying to a question on the LFO and foreign policy of the government he said if the government is serious in holding talks over these issues they would have invited us for this purpose.
PPPP President Makhdoom Amin Fahim said the government should announce that the LFO is not a part of the constitution and put it before parliament validation. He said penalties are being reversed against those who join hands with the government, while the rest have to bear the brunt.
Speaking on the occasion, PML-N President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said it is our demand that the LFO be withdrawn or put before the House for deliberations. "The government in violation of human rights abducted the members and secured their loyalties against huge money offers," the PML-N leader resented.
Referring to the election of Senate chairman and deputy chairman, he said the process began with rigging. "For the first time in the history of the country, a secrete agency has decided who should be the chairman and deputy chairman of the Upper House," he added.
He said after the completion of the upper and lower House of parliament, the government should announce the date of presidential elections. " The PML (N) will support a combined opposition candidate for this post," he announced.
jang.com.pk |
