950812

NA session

opens today

NISAR AHMAD SHEIKH

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly begins its session here on Sunday afternoon in the wake of the devastating floods which have gravely hurt the infrastructure, the standing crops in the four provinces affecting tens of thousands of people, who have to face the brunt of the floods almost every year now.

The Opposition is likely to take up this issue vigorously during the session besides the failure of the Government-MQM talks about the future course of action in Karachi, the spiralling prices in the wake of the 1995-96 budget. The prices are likely to register further rise due to the havoc caused by the rains and floods.

Another simmering issue is the non-production of the detained members of the National Assembly in spite of the issuance of production orders by the Speaker National Assembly on four previous occasions. The Speaker, the other day expressed his total inability to force the government to produce the detained members of the National Assembly saying that he has only the moral power behind him and he does not have a force to implement his orders. In this background the Opposition is certain to take up the issue in a much more vigorous manner.

The members from Balochistan with the cooperation of the Opposition are certain to raise the Sui gas fields trouble which has been going on for quite sometime. The senators from Balochistan, at the last Senate session raised this issue quite forcefully but nothing fruitful has so far come out. They have again requisitioned the Senate session to discuss the issue which in their opinion could lead to dangerous consequances.