Senate chairman urges govt to smell "where wind is blowing", not by-pass Parliament any longer

ISLAMABAD (Web Desk) - Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani has warned the government against by-passing and sidetracking the parliament, saying “two happenings of Tuesday must serve as eye-opener”.

“I don’t want to say much but at least two incidents are enough to give a message to the government, and it should strengthen the parliament as its real strength lies here,” said the Senate chairman without detailing about the incidents he was talking about.

However, sources assume Rabbani was pointing towards the holding of an extraordinary security meeting at the GHQ and Rangers’ siege of MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar’s residence in Karachi.

Rabbani asked Federal Minister Hasil Khan Bazenjo that being a politician he should convey a message to the government as Tuesday’s happenings were enough to smell ‘which way the wind is blowing’.

The remarks of the chair came following the reply of the Minister of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) Lt-Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch, to a call attention notice on the delay and implementation of much needed Fata (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) reforms.

Federal Minister Hasil Bazenjo said that the government neither ignored the parliament nor sidetracked it. “Everything is being considered with regard to Fata reforms and it would be the parliament which would give its final consent on the recommendations of these reforms,” he said.

Earlier, Safron Minister replying the call attention notice moved by Lt-Gen (r) Abdul Qayyum said that the government had formed Fata reforms committee comprising Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, National Security Adviser Lt-Gen (r) Nasir Khan Janjua, KP governor and himself.

The committee has visited seven tribal agencies of Fata area, Abdul Qadir Baloch said. One suggestion is that the traditions and jirga system of Fata should remain intact while youth and journalists are demanding merger of Fata with KP, he said.