1st Joint Session of the Parliament in the year 2009 was held on 28th March 2009. President of Pakistan Hon. Asif Ali Zardari addressed this Session. The 2nd Joint Session was held on 26th October 2009 which was addressed by the Turkish Prime Minister, Hon. Recp Tayyip Erdagen.
“AGHAZ-E-HUQOOQ-E-BALOCHISTAN” PACKAGE
Senator Mian Raza Rabbani announcing the Balochistan Package during the Joint Session of the Parliament in Islamabad on November 24, 2009.
The 3rd Joint Session of Parliament was held on 24th November, 2009 in which the “Aghaz-e-Huqooq-Balochistan” package was presented. Prime Minister of Pakistan Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani announced key features of the package details of which were announced by Senator Mian Raza Rabbani.
Parliament’s 4th Joint Session was held from 7-9 December 2009 in which “Aghaz-e-Huqooq-Balochistan” package was discussed and approved. The Proceedings of all three days of the Session were presided over by the Chairman Senate of Pakistan.
The framers of the package immensely benefited from the reports prepared earlier by the Senate Committees entrusted with the task of suggesting political, Constitutional, administrative and economic measures for ameliorating the lot of people of Balochistan. The package drew heavily on comprehensive reports compiled earlier by the Wasim Sajjad and Mushahid Hussain Committees respectively.
The main purpose for the creation of the Senate of Pakistan was to give equal representation to all the federating units since the membership of the National Assembly was based on the population of each province.
Announced by veteran Parliamentarian Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, the package unveiled in the Parliament made a fresh beginning and was rightly termed by political analysts as offering of olive branch to Balochistan. The Upper House of the Parliament has undoubtedly contributed significantly towards the package, which envisages necessary constitutional amendments to be made to strengthen provincial autonomy on the political side, while an amount of Rs. 120 billion was offered as royalty on gas development surcharge from 1954 to 1991 to be payable over 12 years, on the economic side.
Deputy Chairman Senate, Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali addressing the Joint Session of the Parliament in Islamabad on December 09, 2009.
The Constitutional reforms related matters include abolition of the concurrent list, end to police order and Balochistan Local Government Ordinance 2001 from the 6th schedule and effective implementation of Article 153 relating to Council of Common Interest. The package also assures effective implementation of articles 154 to 159 and 170 of the Constitution. Some other notable features of the package include an offer of dialogue with ‘estranged brothers’, promise of probes into political murders, army pull out from a key area, halting construction of new cantonments in the province and more control on local resources.
Deputy Chairman Senate, Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali participating in the debate said that we need to have the will to treat and cure 62 years old affliction, adding that only sincere implementation would guarantee prevention of 1971 like tragedies. He also called for a directly elected Senate with fiscal powers. Senator Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch demanded end to military operation and release of political detainees’ alongwith recovery of missing persons. Whereas Senator Abdul Rahim Mandokhel said the package was prepared with good intention but still there is need for improvement particularly on the Constitutional side. Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani cautioned that we have to be on our guard and must not let any one use the province of Balochistan for realization of its designs. Prof.Khurshid Ahmed eulogized the work done by Senate Committees earlier on Balochistan.
The “Aghaz-e-Huqooq-e-Balochistan” is a starter with Constitutional Committee’s recommendations and their passage in the Parliament would be culmination of Provincial Autonomy as well as Parliament’s sovereignty.