Daily Times

An MPA from the opposition benches dared the government minister while giving him a challenge to resign on Wednesday during the ongoing session of Punjab Assembly in the question hour.

As per the details, Iftikhar Chhachhar, an MPA of PML-N from Okara refuted the claim of Minister for School Education Dr Murad Ras in which the minister said that the facility of electricity was available in his constituency of Okara PP-185.

Dr Murad Ras said that the government didn’t allocate any budget in the fiscal year 2018-19 for the solar panels to be installed in the schools of Okara because electricity was available in all the schools except for five schools where the solar panels have already been installed with the help of philanthropists. “The minister is telling a lie in the House as there is no electricity in three schools of my constituency,” said MPA Chhachhar. I’ll resign as MPA if minister proves that the electricity is available in those schools I have mentioned otherwise the minister should quit his portfolio, the MPA dared the minister. Dr Murad Ras didn’t accept the challenge but said that he will personally check these schools as Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari directed him to pay visit to the schools.

Earlier, the session of Punjab Assembly started after a delay of more than one and half hour from its scheduled time of 3 pm with Deputy Speaker Mazari in the chair. Minister for School Education Dr Murad Ras gave answers to the queries of legislators in the question-hour.

Later, speaking on a point of order, MPA Azma Zahid Bukhari conveyed the request of journalists covering Punjab Assembly to Deputy Speaker to change the timings of the session. “Many journalists covering Punjab Assembly have problem with the current timing of the session as they have to file stories in the evening and the session also starts in the evening,” said Azma. She also criticized the government for not paying any attention to legendary folk singer Ustad Shaukat Ali who is critically ill these days. Former CM Punjab Shehbaz Sharif allocated a special support fund for the artists but the incumbent government did nothing for the artists. They didn’t even bother to visit him to inquire about his health despite the fact that he devoted his whole life for promoting the music, she added. Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid said that she is in regular contact with the family of Shaukat Ali and all the payments for his treatment were given by the government.

The parliamentary leader of PPP Syed Hassan Murtaza said that the crushing season of sugarcane is just here but the government isn’t paying the pending amount of poor farmers so far. The rate of sugar is increased drastically but the farmers are getting the same price of sugarcane and the government should play its role to get them their due rate, the PPP MPA said. Deputy Speaker Mazari also endorsed his point and directed the government to play its role in resolving the issue amicably.

In the government business, The Punjab Sentencing Bill 2019 was also passed with simple majority of the House. The session was later adjourned to meet again on Thursday afternoon.