Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN)’s legislator, Hina Pervez Butt, on Monday, sought allocation of constituencies for the members of Provincial Assembly on reserved seats to avoid hurdles in launching different development works.
She demanded this through “Provincial Assembly of Punjab Privileges (Amendment) Bill 1972,” submitted in Punjab Assembly.
The objective of the said Amendment Bill was to get an independent constituency where MPAs on reserved seats could pay visits to the concerned educational institutions, hospitals, other departments and also launch development works with his/her own title.
The bill reads: “Whereas it is expedient to amend the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Privileges Act 1972 (Act II of 1972) to facilitate and authorise the elected as well as members on reserved seats of the provincial assembly to inspect the jails falling within the district of his residence and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto.”
The bill sought an amendment in section 18 of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Privileges Act 1972 (Act II of 1972) while mentioning that the word “constituency” be substituted with the word “residence.”
Nevertheless, Section 18 said, “Every member of the provincial assembly of Punjab shall be authorised to inspect the jails falling within the districts of his constituency within office hours.”
MPA Butt called the MPAs on reserved seats with no constituencies an injustice.
She said these MPAs should be given their constituencies where they could visit freely to monitor affairs and contribute for the needy masses. She further added they should be recognised with their constituencies.
It was a very simple formula to allocate the constituencies to them, Butt noted while adding that a female MPA should be allocated the constituency she lived in.
If it is not possible, then other areas were said to be allocated for them to contribute to society and people could know about their services.
She further asserted women MPAs were facing gigantic problems owing to the non-allocation of areas.
The lawmaker called it a need of the hour to fix responsibilities to the said women by allocating areas to them.
“It would be a landmark amendment if made by the government as women MPAs will contribute more in their respective constituencies that way,” she concluded.