ISLAMABAD: National Assembly approved to rename the NWFP as Khyber Pakhtoonkhaw with majority of votes, Geo News reported Thursday.

The members of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) suggested to the House the amendments in Section-3 of the Bill relating the name of the NWFP. However, Chairman Constitutional Reforms Committee of the Parliament Mian Raza Rabbani baulked at the proposals.

The name of Khyber Pakhtoonkhaw was adopted with 264 votes of support. At least 20 votes were against the new proposed name.

KARACHI: Sindh Assembly session witnessed rousing tumult, as the members hailing from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) staged a walkout in protest against harsh speeches by Sindh Home Minister Zulfiqar Mirza and Local Bodies Minister Siraj Durrani, Geo News reported Tuesday.

Both the leaders delivered emotionally charged speeches at the floor; but, the MQM members were not allowed to respond. Reacting to this, the MQM members went out of the house in protest.

Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed of MQM tried to give his statement in reaction to the fiery speeches by the Home Minister and the LB minister; but, he was stopped short by Acting Speaker Shehla Raza, saying she is running the House in accordance with the rules.

Dr Sagheer said his party condemns the killings of 125 party workers in one year, adding the Speaker is showing partiality. Later on, Muttahida members raised slogans and walked out of the House.

The session has been paused for the moment, as Senior Minister Pir Mazharul Haq, Jam Madad Ali, Murad Ali Shah and Ayas Soomro are making efforts to bring them round.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani today spoke to Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain on phone and discussed with him issues regarding Sindh Assembly’s incident.

According to a statement issued from MQM’s London Secretariat, Prime Minster Gilani has regretted the inappropriate behavior of PPP provincial ministers during the Sindh Assembly’s session.

Speaking to Altaf Hussain, the premier said that President Asif Ali Zardari, taking strict notice of the incident, reprimanded provincial ministers Agha Siraj Durrani and Zulfiqar Ali Mirza and stopped them from making any provocative statement.

Gilani said he met with President Zardari immediately after the Sindh Assembly’s chaos and informed him about the unfortunate incident. The prime minister deplored that better atmosphere of reconciliation created after President Zardari’s meeting with MQM was spoiled.

“President Asif Ali Zardari has reprimanded Agha Siraj Durrani and Zulfiqar Ali Mirza in front of me. We all want to go along together, but you two are destroying my reconciliatory policy,” Gilani told Altaf.

The prime minister continued: “I have no doubt in my mind that we will be partners in future also and we don’t want to waste our strength by opposing the MQM.”

He opined that the PPP-MQM alliance had given a strength to the business community.

Meanwhile, MQM chief Altaf Hussain thanked the Prime Minister for taking immediate notice of the incident and assured that he would ask his party to maintain policy of reconciliation.

National Assembly’s standing committee for sports has called the chairman and the chief operation officer of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), coach and manager of the national cricket team for disappointing performance of Pakistan against Australia.

The committee has also imposed fine of Rs100,000 on hockey player Rehan Butt while the coach and the manager of the team have been fined for Rs50,000 each for the objectionable pictures’ publication in media.

The committee members at a meeting, presided over by its chairman Jamshed Dasti, expressed severe anger over the publication of the national hockey team players’ objectionable pictures.

Jamshed Dasti has directed to impose fine of Rs100,000 on Rehan Butt and Rs50,000 each on the coach and the manager.

The committee through a unanimous resolution has recommended to sack chairman PCB Ijaz Butt.

The members of the committee said that Butt is not capable of running the cricket board and he should immediately be removed.

Secretary Establishment Division Ismail Qureshi told the committee that the Punjab government has been asked to explain regarding making any operation against high-level police officers for their negligence in security of the Sri Lankan cricket team.

After the Punjab government sends the case against the concerned police officers then the operation will be made after getting an approval from the prime minister.