Daily Times

The Punjab government on Wednesday passed nine bills in the absence of the opposition while the PML-N termed all the legislative process as illegal and unconstitutional. As per the details, The Punjab Water Bill 2019, The Punjab Seized and Freezed Facilities (Hospitals and Dispensaries) Bill 2019, The Punjab Regularization of Service (Amendment) Bill 2019, The Provincial Employees’ Social Security (Amendment) Bill 2019, The Punjab Khal Panchayat Bill 2019, The Punjab Workers Welfare Fund Bill 2019, The Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority (Amendment) Bill 2019, The Punjab Minimum Wages Bill 2019 and The Rawalpindi Women University, Rawalpindi Bill 2019 were passed on Wednesday amid the absence of the opposition that staged walkout in protest against the legislative process.

As the minister for law and parliamentary affairs Raja Basharat started the legislative process in the House, PML-N MPAs including Waris Shad, Bilal Farooq Tarar, Iftikhar Chhachhar and Samiullah Khan stood on their benches to stage protest against the process as they said that it is not as per the law. “The government is doing the legislation by bypassing the standing committees as these bills were not referred to the concerned standing committees for deliberations of the members and therefore it is against the rules of procedures of Punjab Assembly,” said MPA Waris Shad. This government is oppressing the voice of the opposition and we didn’t see such an attitude even during the dictatorships, he said and added that the standing committees didn’t even send the report to the House after deliberations. Law minister said that this House is authorized to take the bill if the report of standing committee isn’t sent to the House and government is doing all the legislation as per the rules. “The opposition thought that the government would succumb to its pressure after they boycotted the meetings of standing committees but we cannot hinder the process of legislation under their pressure,” said law minister. It provoked the opposition that left the House in protest and all the nine bills were passed while ignoring the grievances of the opposition in just half an hour as there was not a single MPA present on the opposition benches at that time and the treasury benches were flooded with the government MPAs to ensure the quorum.

Talking to Daily Times, senior MPA of PML-N Iftikhar Chhachhar said that Wednesday’s legislation was against the rule 154(6) of the Rules of Procedure of Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1997 that clearly defines the role of standing committees. “The Punjab Water Bill 2019 and The Punjab Khal Panchayat Bill 2019 were referred to the Standing Committee of Irrigation according to the official document provided by the government but this standing committee is yet to be formed,” MPA Chhachhar said. Similarly, the government claimed that The Punjab Regularization of Service (Amendment) Bill 2019 was referred to the Standing Committee on Services and General Administration for deliberation and again this committee isn’t formed yet. It is ridiculous that a committee isn’t formed then how they can send the business to the said committee, he said. “We’ll challenge today’s legislation in the court as it is illegal and unconstitutional,” said MPA Chhachhar, who is also a lawyer.

“Yes, our parliamentary advisory board will challenge this legislation in the court and we are preparing the petition in this regard,” said MPA Samiullah Khan, a member of PML-N’s parliamentary advisory board. Earlier, opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz, who attended the House on production orders, paid his gratitude to Speaker Ch Pervaiz Elahi for showing good gestures regarding the health condition of Nawaz Sharif. He also criticized the PTI members for mocking the ailment of his uncle and party’s supreme leader Nawaz Sharif. Answers related to the prison department were given by minister Zawar Warraich during the question-hour.

It is worth mentioning here that Speaker Elahi gave his appearance in the House for the first time during the ongoing session to ensure the smooth sailing of the legislative process as government had 9 bills on the agenda item. Speaker Elahi showed his political wisdom in the House to keep the atmosphere peaceful as he didn’t give floor to the fiery government ministers Mian Aslam Iqbal and Feyyaz ul Hassan Chohan. The session was later adjourned to meet again on Thursday afternoon.