Morning News
31st August 1957
Adjournment Motion Disallowed
East Pakistan Minister’s Activities
The Finance Minister, Mr. Amjad Ali, announced in the National Assembly today that passengers from West Pakistan to East Pakistan would no longer be required to submit baggage declaration form to the Customs authorities. The baggage also would not be subjected to any search by the Customs. The Finance Minister, however, said that normal restrictions on the movement of gold- also applicable within West Pakistan, would continue to operate and that police, acting on reliable information, would be entitled to search any person proceeding from West to East Pakistan.
These decisions were announced during the course of a debate on a non-official resolution moved by Maulana Tarkabagish (A.L.) which sought to do away with the restrictions on the movement of gold resulting in disparity in the prices of gold in the two wings of Pakistan. The motion was withdrawn following Mr. amjad Ali’s assurances. A non-official bill, moved by Mr. Mujibur Rahman (AL), which seeks to change the financial year to run from July to June instead of the present April to March period, was referred to a Select Committee. The Select Committee will report back to House by Dec. 15 next. Ch. Azizuddin’s bill to amend the Constitution was also introduced in the House today. The bill, admitted after a stormy passage at arms between the Treasury and the Opposition benches, is designed to prevent the loss of permanent status and qualifying service of permanent Civil Servants without cause, and to safeguard their claims for pension.
E. P. Minister’s Activities
Our Karachi: Office Adds: Today’s Morning News report that the Pakistan Foreign Office has started vigorous investigation against a Minister of the East Pakistan Government for activities prejudicial to the interests of Pakistan indulged in during the Minster’s frequent visits to Calcutta, formed the subject matter of an adiournment motion sought to be moved by M. Farid Ahmad (NI). Mr. Farid Ahmad moved that the House be adjourned to discuss the activities of a Minister of East Pakistan Government which were prejudicial to the interests of Pakistan. The Minister, the motion said, frequently visited Calcutta and indulged in activities which were prejudicial to the interests of Pakistan. Mr. Farid said that the activities of the Minister referred to in the motion were such that if they were allowed to continue and remained un-noticed its repercussions would be bad. Therefore, they should be controlled.
Mr. Farid Ahmad supplied a copy of Morning News to the Speaker. Rising on a point of order, Mr. Mujibur Rahman (AL) said that the member was delivering a speech on a motion which had not yet been admitted.
Mr. Farid: “I concede you have a better right to deliver speeches.” The Speaker ruled that motion out of order with Mr. Farid Ahmad pretesting that it was a serious matter and that a Minister should not be allowed to indulge in such activities.
You might as well liquidate the State,” he said.
Karachi, Aug. 30 (APP): Pakistan Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr. Deldar Ahmad, will leave here for Moscow via Kabul on Sept. 1 at the invitation of the Soviet Ministry of Agriculture.