Senate standing committees chairmen/chairpersons elected.

ISLAMABAD, July 27, 2009 (Balochistan Times) -- Chairmen and Chairpersons were elected unopposed for different Standing Committee of the Senate in the election held at the Parliament House on Monday. Senators Lt, Gen. Javed Ashraf Qazi, Mir Wah Muhammad Badini, Gulshan Saeed, Shirala Malik, Muhammad Idrees Khan Safi, Prof. Khurshid Ahmed, Nilofar Bakhtiar, Muhammad Talha Mehmood, Dr. Khalid Mehmood Soomro, Muhammad Saleh Shah, Syed Javed Ali Shah, Shahid Hussain Bugti, Muhammad Ishaq Dar and Maulana Gul Naseeb have been elected as Chairmen/Chairpersons of Senate Standing Committees on Defence and Defence Production, Communications, Ports and Shipping Women Development, Information Technology and Telecommunications, Planning and Development and Population Welfare, Culture and Tourism, Interior, Local Government and Rural Development, Religious Affairs and Zakat and Ushr and Minorities Affairs, Food, Agriculture and Livestock, Industries and Production and Railways, Cabinet Secretariat, Inter Provincial Coordination and Special Initiatives respectively. The election was held at the Parliament Building today, as contemplated by Rule 163(1) of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 1988 and the proceedings were conducted by the Secretary Senate, Raja Muhammad Amin alongwith Special Secretary Senate, Iftikharullah Khan Babar. The proceedings were witnessed by Leader of House in the Senate, Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and a number of other Senators. Senator, Lt Gen. Javed Ashraf Qazi was proposed for Chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Defence and Defence Production by Senator Haji Adeel seconded by Senator, Ch. Shujaat Hussain. Senator Mir Wali Muhammad Badini was proposed for Chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Communications by Senator, Dr. Ismail Buledi and seconded by Senator, Abdur Rahim Khan Mandokhel. Senator Gulshan Saeed was proposed for Chairpersonship of the Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping by Senator, Dr. Abdul Malik and seconded by Senators, Ismail Buledi and Semen Siddiqui. Senator Shirala Malik was proposed for Chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Women Development by Senator, Semen Siddiqui and seconded by Senator, Kalsoom Parveen. Senator Muhammad Idrees Khan Safi was proposed for Chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunications by Senator Zahid Khan and seconded by Senator Mrs. Fauzia Fakhar-uz-Zaman. Senator Prof, Khurshid Ahmed was proposed for Chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Planning and Development and Population Welfare by Senator, Babar Khan Ghauri and seconded by Senator Abdul Rahim Khan Mandokhail. Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar was proposed for Chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Culture and Tourism by Senator, Maula Bakhsh Chandio. Senator Muhammad Talha Mehmood was proposed for Chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Interior by Senators, Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari and Senator Mohammad Jamal Khan Leghari and seconded by Senator, Begum Najma Hameed. Senator, Maulana Gul Naseeb was proposed for Chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Railways by Senator Dr. Khatu Mall and seconded by Senators, Abdur Rashid and Dr. Abdul Khaliq Pirzada and some others. Senator Dr. Khalid Mehmood Soomro was proposed for Chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Local Government and Rural Development by Senator, Haji Ghulam Ali and seconded by Senators Salahuddin Dogar and Lt. Gen. Javed Ashraf Qazi. Senator Muhammad Saleh Shah was proposed for Chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Zakat and Ushr and Minorities Affairs by Senator Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani and seconded by Senator, Muhammad Zahid Khan. Senator Syed Javed Ali Shah was proposed for Chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Food, Agriculture and Livestock & Dairy by Senator Salahuddin Dogar and seconded by Senator Dr. Abdul Malik. Senator Shahid Hassan Bugti was proposed for Chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat by Senator Mrs. Rehana Yahya Baloch and seconded by Senators Mir Wali Muhammad Badini and Fauzia Fakhar-uz-Zaman and some other Members. Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar was proposed for Chairmanship of the Standing Committee on Industries and Production by Senator. Mrs. Semen Siddiqui and seconded by Senator, Abdul Haseeb Khan. The elected Chairmen / Chairpersons thanked their colleagues for reposing confidence in them and assured that they would rise above the party divide and work in the greatest interest of the country and the nation. They requested their colleagues to extend them fullest cooperation and guidance to achieve the objectives for which these Committees have been constituted. They assured that they would make decisions by consensus and take all Members along. Speaking on the occasion Senator Lt. Gen. Javed Ashraf Qazi thanked the Members of the Defence Committee and said he would make every effort to strengthen defence and to make the Committee effective. He also vowed to promote accountability and to act as a bridge between the Parliament and government for bolstering the countrys defence. Senator Mian Raza Rabbani had drawn the attention of the chair towards matters regarding PIA Pilot Association and other employees, adding that the junior employees of the Corporation have not been given raise in salary. Haji Muhammad Adeel, another Member of the Committee urged the chair to make efforts for taking the Committee on board while looking at the defence purchases and the defence budget of the country. Mir Wali Muhammad Badini, the newly elected chairman of the Senate Committee on Communications, while thanking the Members said development of an effective network roads and highways is the first essential pr-requisite for socio-economic development. He would concentrate improving the communications network. Senator Zahid Khan had drawn the attention of the chair towards the fact that the same company was granted the contract to construct Zero Point Interchange which had earlier constructed Shershah Bridge in Karachi which collapsed soon after inauguration. Senator Gulshan Saeed, chairperson of Senate Committee on Ports and Shipping stated that ports had a key role in development as they facilitate movement of goods. The Committee, she said would make efforts to make the ports fully functional and operational to accelerate the process of development. Shirala Malik, who was elected unopposed as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Women Development observed that women form 52% of the countrys population and there is need to ensure that women strata remains in the mainstream of development by providing them greater opportunities to overcome their economic, social and educational backwardness. Senator Idrees Khan Safi, chairman of the IT Committee said there is a large scope for IT development in the country as this age can rightly he called the age of IT and computers. The Committee can revolutionize IT by providing right kind of environment for its development, he added. Nilofar Bakhtiar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism said that terrorism has defaced and destroyed country tourism and there is a need to promote true Pakistani values of love and amity in addition to tolerance. Our country is so rich in culture and we should be proud of our heritage of comprising Moenjodaro, Harappa, Gandhara and Taxila alongwith projecting Sufi saints universal values of love for humanity, Senator Talha Mehmood expressed his resolve to improve the deteriorating law and order situation with the help and cooperation of Committee Members and to make the country abode of peace and amity. He spelled out the Committees priorities by saying that restoration of peace and order in general and troubled areas in particular be given special attention. He said protection of life and property of citizens is the first and foremost responsibility of every government. Senator Maulana Gul Naseeb said the Committee would spare no effort in restoring efficiency in the system of Railways and enabling it play its due role in the process of development.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)