Daily Times

LAHORE: Suspension of one-fourth of the legislators on Tuesday hit the expensive time and finances of the Punjab Assembly business that was not completed and the session was pended by the speaker by the reason of nonattendance of movers of the resolutions fixed for the day’s agenda.

Two important resolutions – by Hina Pervaiz Butt and Ahmad Khan Bhachar – regarding fraud by house and plaza developers and against the poisonous drinking water were on the day’s agenda as “private members day”, but due to their absence both the resolutions were pended.

However, the House adopted three resolutions moved by Mian Tariq Mehmood, Dr Waseem and Chaudhry Iqbal that were addressed the issues of upgradation of public servants of scales 16 and 17, continuation of subsidy on fertilisers, and fixation of targets for commercial attachés appointed in Pakistani embassies in foreign countries for enhancing exports of rice and potato, respectively.

The Punjab Assembly session on Tuesday started one hour and five minutes behind its scheduled time at 10am under the chair of Speaker Rana Iqbal. On a point of order, Opposition leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed highlighted the issue of farmers’ protest at Thokar Niaz Baig and urged the authorities to resolve their issues, on which a treasury member said that those protesters were not farmers but victims of PTI leader Jehangir Tareen’s sugar mill and who had been protesting against non-payments.

In response, the opposition leader said that they were sugarcane growers who were victims of the ruling Sharif family’s three sugar mills that were installed in the southern provincial areas despite the court order. When the opposition leader directly tried to involve the leader of the House into the matter, the speaker muted his microphone, saying that the issue would be discussed after the law minister’s arrival in the House.

During the session, opposition member Asif Mehmood on a point of order informed the House that the ruling party’s defeated candidate in his constituency was using the title of MPA at the sites of different development projects that was a breach of his privilege so the government should stop him and take legal action. The speaker initially tried to avoid the issue but agreed to take notice of it personally.

In the House, treasury member Molvi Ghiasuddin tabled a privilege motion regarding a police raid at his house in Shakargarh to arrest his three sons following a quarrel with the medical superintendent of a local hospital. The speaker referred it to the standing committee for further action. The speaker adjourned the session till today.

Published in Daily Times, October 18^th 2017.