May 17, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 11, 1429

QUETTA, May 16: Provincial Minister for Communications and Works Mir Sadiq Umrani informed the Balochistan assembly on Friday that a committee had been formed to probe into alleged misappropriation of development funds estimated at Rs4,646 million in the district of Lasbela.

The minister, who is deputy parliamentary leader of the PPP, urged the federal government to investigate the reported embezzlement of Rs2,205 million released by the former premier during the 2008 election process to the government of Balochistan.

Mir Umrani said on a point of order that a huge amount of money had been released for development projects in the district but there was no trace of any project on the ground and, therefore, he had ordered an inquiry.

He said that the people calling for an end to military operation in the province should also demand that elements who had plundered people’s money in the name of progress should be exposed.

The minister said the federal government should investigate where was Rs2,205m released by the former prime minister used by the previous government.

Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rubina Irfan tabled a resolution expressing satisfaction over restoration of Pakistans membership of the Commonwealth. The resolution said that after fulfilling the necessary requirements the membership of the assembly in the parliamentary association of Commonwealth should also be restored.

Two adjournment motions of Mir Zahoor Hussain Khoso pertaining to lack of funds for the health sector in the Nasirabad district and delay in starting work on the Usta Mohammad-Dera Allahyar section were disposed of when the mover did not press the motions after assurance given by the minister concerned.

Speaker Aslam Bhootani asked the minister for law to present the names of members of the standing committee in the next session of the house. The session was adjourned till Monday.