Mar.20, 2010

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar moved a bill against money laundering – The Anti-Money Laundering Bill, 2010 – in the Upper House on Friday.

Senate Chairman Jan Muhammad Jamali deferred the bill for discussion on Monday, as some senators were unavailable.

Senators Ibrahim and Haroon Akhtar voiced their favour for the bill and demanded further improvements in it on the basis of the relevant committee’s recommendations.

To a point of order, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Gul Naseeb walked out to protest ignorance on part of the authorities towards his party workers arrested during the ongoing military operation.

“If the government maintains such an attitude and even restricts meetings with the arrested workers then our party will not participate in the legislative business of the Upper House,” he said.

Discrimination: Senators from the NWFP also expressed concerns over what they called discrimination against Pashtuns in different parts of the country.

Senator Haji Adeel of the Awami National Party told the House that Pashto-speaking people in Punjab and Sindh were being discriminated against regarding terror activities.

“We have two countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan. We cannot go to Afghanistan because of the war there. It’s not right for others to continue discrimination against the Pashtuns in Lahore, Karachi and other parts of the country,” he added.

Senators Khursheed Ahmed and Abdur Rehman Mandokhel supported Adeel and criticised the government over inflation, price hike and law and order.

Senator Ibrahim disclosed that at least 14 Pakistani nationals from his jurisdiction were imprisoned in Israel, urging the government to ensure their immediate release.

Senator Abdul Malik criticised the government for handing over 300 kilometres of land at Omara in Balochistan to a naval base.

“Kindly stop dislocating the Baloch from their land. We will resist if the government will not give back the land to the locals,” he said.