Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: In protest over anti-Pakistan campaign in Switzerland, Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani on Thursday suspended activities of Pak-Switzerland Friendship Group of the Senate.

During the Senate session, Rabbani said the government of Switzerland had failed to stop the display of anti-Pakistan posters in Geneva, and according to reports, more posters have been put on display. According to the United Nations charter, it was the responsibility of all the member countries to follow the policy of non-interference in the internal and external affairs of other states and not to support or abet terrorism from the state against the other states.

The Senate chairman said the activities of the friendship group would remain suspended till the decision of the House in this regard.

Speaking on the occasion, the members strongly condemned the display of anti-Pakistan posters in Geneva. They said that allowing the display of posters by Swiss government was tantamount to attack on the stability of Pakistan. Earlier on Wednesday, the Senate chairman had also recommended to the government to ask the Swiss ambassador to leave Pakistan over the ‘Free Balochistan’ posters.

Rabbani claimed that the posters were an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty and demanded to know from Law Minister Zahid Hamid why the posters continue to be displayed in Switzerland even though Pakistan had summoned the Swiss ambassador and recorded its protest.

The chair admitted an adjournment motion regarding lack of beds for patients and other medical equipment at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and the Federal Government Services Hospital (FGSH), Islamabad.

The chair did not allow debate on an admitted adjournment motion about the reported reconstitution of Council of Common interest (CCI) by the prime minister in violation of the constitution. The chair in his observation termed the CCI reconstitution as per Article 153 of the constitution, which asks for issuance of notification by the president on the advice of the prime minister.

Meanwhile, the Senate was informed that power generation had reached 20,000MW in the country due to effective measures taken by the government. To a query during the question hour, Minister of State for Power Abid Sher Ali said that in the coming few months the power generation would reach 25,000MW. He said power load shedding would be completely overcome by December this year.

To a question, Abid Sher Ali informed the House that work was underway on 870MW Suki Kinari Hydropower Project in Mansehra district under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. He said the project would be completed at a cost of $1,800 million and it would start power generation by the end of 2022.

To a question, Law Minister Zahid Hamid informed the House that the National Accountability Bureau had given advertisements worth Rs 54.89 million in the print and electronic media during the last four years.

He said that expenses to the tune of Rs 31.90 million were incurred by the NAB on workshops, seminars and awareness campaign during the same period.

Replying to a question, Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani informed the House that a summary had been submitted to the prime minister through the Finance Division for 70 percent increase in rental ceiling of government employees.

The House discussed the Federal Public Service Commission’s annual report for 2015. Taking part in the discussion, the members proposed different reforms in the FPSC. The House decided to constitute an eight-member committee to propose reforms for the commission. Four members each from the treasury and opposition benches would be included in the committee.

Published in Daily Times, September 22^nd 2017.