Jama'at-e Islami Pakistan issued their parliamantary performance repor

ISLAMABAD (March 11, '2012):

Senators from Jama'at-e Islami Pakistan Prof Khurshid Ahmed, Prof Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and Aafia Zia have issued their performance report during the last four years in the Senate of Pakistan. All the three senators of JI have completed their tenure on March 11 as senator.

Parliamentary Leader of JI in the Senate Prof Khurshid Ahmed has said that it was our duty to present our performance report before people. The JI senators raised their voice over almost all the important issues pertaining to Pakistani masses in general and Muslim Ummah especially. The JI senators presented their stand through submission of questions, adjournment motions, motions, call attention notices, notices under rule 194, privilege motions and amendments to the government laid bills.

While giving the sepate figures of all this business he said that there were more than 1000 questions, over 400 adjournments motions, over 246 motions under rule 194, 228 call attention notices, over 310 motions and 4 privilege motions submitted to the upper house of the parliament during this period.

Public issues specifically raised in the senate from time to time contained day-to-day increase in petroleum, electricity, gas and commodity prices, and a private bill was also submitted in this connection named as "A bill to Control Increase in the Commodity Prices 2010". Change in the syllabus, uniformed education system throughout the country, grievances faced by earthquake victims and the government poor performance thereof, interior and foreign policy of the government, hardships faced by farmers, issues related to Hajj pilgrims, the price hike bombing in Ramadhan, raising voice against the abduction, torture and killings of journalists and likwise issues were also raised from time to time on the floor of the Senate. The JI senators also submitted a private bill named as "The Journalists Protection and Welfare Bill '2011" in the senate. Successive price hike, increasing unemployment and day-to-day suicide incidents due to far increasing poverty level in the country were also the key issues focussed on. A Constitutional Amendment Bill was also presented in 2010 to deter the increasing rate of suicide incidents in the country.

The JI senators not only raised the grievances faced by handicaped through call attention notices but they also submitted an eight pages bill named as " Persons with disabilities bill '2010" They also submitted notices against NRO and other disputed issues and successively reiterated their stand that termed such an attitude is unfair for legislation and that all the legislation should be met through parliament. The JI senators also submitted their amendments in the governemtn bills.

Almost all the ministries'/divisions performance was also demanded to be discussed which included apart from other ministries of Women Development, Education, Privatization Commission, Utility Stores Corporation, Communication, Interior, Foreign Affairs, Law, Information and Broadcasting.

The JI senators raised their strong voice against all the governement moves against Islamic norrs and culture, which included a strong protest against publishing of carricatures, moral devaluation in the country, internet cafe, obscene CDs, snooker clubs, closure of Sheesha centers and also to promote legislation in accordance with the Islamic Ideological Council, insecurity of masajid, imam bargah and religious leaders, etc.

Voice was also raised against Pakistan's playing a front-state role in the so-called 'war-on-terror' and targetting its own citizens with drone strikes in this connection and the US interference in Pakistan's interior matters, foreign policy affairs. A detailed reports regarding martyrdom of Amir Cheema Shaheed, Dr Afia Siddiqui's detention and her release from the American custody were demanded from time to time. The JI senators also demanded for a strong action against indiscriminatioin to women and children and the row of their abduction. Working women issues were also raised and amendments were submitted for the welfare of working women in the upper house. Governemnt actions were demanded for the welfare of old-aged and pensioners. Implementioin of the Supreme Court decisions was successively demanded. Deteriorating situation of FATA, Swat, Baluchistan and other parts of the country were countinuiusly focussed. Actions taken by the government on increasing traffic accidents was also focussed. A motion was submitted in the senate for continuous negligence to announcing Urdu as the official language of the country as per the Constitution of Pakistan, and this issue was once again raised through discussion in the senate. Voice against ill-mannered attempts against Namoos-e Risalat Act was also raised. Performance and issues of Railways, demand of omission of expiry date in the national i.d. card was also reiterated. Sale of substandard and expensive life saving drugs, Swat operation and collateral damaged caused in the result of this operation also remained key issues for JI senators. Voice on the Balochistan issue was continuously raised in the upper house. Sad incident of killinig of innocent Chechen women in Balochistan, terrorism and target killing in Karachi were also focused. According a calculation, the most focused area for the JI senators was the issue of price hike,petroliem prices and Karachi voilence. The government's support and salute to former dictator Pervez Musharaf was also strongly condemned. Increasing corruption in the goverment institutions/organizations, rental power projects, petroleum development levy and likewise issues were also raised through adjournment motions. Delay in the Lowary Tunnel project, activities in the American Blackwater within the country, farmer's killing during strike in Sindh, privilege motioin against submission of Electronic Crime Ordinance in the senate in spite of its expiry, receipt of hidden charges in IESCO bills, EOBI corruption, Peshawar mishap and killings of Jamiat and Jama'at Islami leaders and workers, closure of private TV channels and Pemra's sanctions on media, bomb blasts on Data darbar, Abdullah Shah Ghazi and Pak Pattan shrines and other areas of Pakistan were also raised in the senate. Martyrdom of innocent students in result of their torture in police supervision at Sialkot, protest against the sacrilege of Qur'an at Florida - US by a church official, Bill for recitation and teaching of the holy Qur'an with Nazra, Hifz and tajweed was also submitted in the senate. Voice against grievances of students and ban on students unions was also raised. Amendments in IRO 2012 were also proposed for the betterment of labourers.

The Kashmir issue was successively raised at the floor of senate.

Constitutional amendments were proposed in Article 9 and 10 for release of the missing persons. This bill aimed at effective ban on detention without judicial proceedings, ban on punishment for such act, handing over any Pakistan and non-Pakistani to any other country without the proper judicial proceedings and its permission. A motion submitted by Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmed in this connection has been unanimously approved by the senate. Grievances faced by teachers, doctors and clerks were also raised.

Prof Khurshid Ahmed said that the JI senators also raised its effective role in the senate standing committees for the issues of general masses and the overall performance of the institutions.