The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf minister once again failed to satisfy the opposition benches for a second consecutive day in the Punjab Assembly during the question-hour when heated arguments were exchanged with MPAs of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Friday. As per details, PML-N MPA from Khushab, Waris Kallu, inquired from the Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment, Mian Aslam Iqbal, regarding government’s policy on regularisation of the employees of the consumer courts presently working on contract basis. “We were told that 23 officers of consumer courts were appointed on the contract basis and 6 among them have been regularized.
What is the policy of the department regarding the regularization of the remaining 17 officers?” asked PML-N’s Kallu. Once again, the minister blamed the previous government of PML-N for this issue and said that the PML-N had made a policy in 2013 that all the officers above the grade of BPS 16 would be recruited through Punjab Public Service Commission and ergo, their regularization was pending.
At which, Kallu said that the PTI’s ministers still don’t believe that they are in power and it was now their turn to answer us. He went on to say that if the minister was not completely prepared regarding the issue of his department, he should seek an exemption for our questions.
Dep Speaker urges Pak, India to prioritise health, education over war
These remarks provoked the minister who said that we were cleaning the mess put by the PML-N in all the departments these days. It is pertinent to mention here that Aslam Iqbal took almost an hour to respond to only two questions on Friday and couldn’t satisfy the House.
Earlier, speaking on a point of order, MPA Kallu said that we were all standing firmly behind our armed forces despite the political differences, further adding that it was a good gesture to release the Indian Air Force pilot but the opposition parties should also have been taken in confidence over his release.
Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari said that war was not a solution to any problem and, thus, both Pakistan and India should resolve their issues through dialogue. There remained severe issues of education and health in both the countries and they should concentrate on resolving these issues instead of engaging in war, he added.
Garbage in Lahore is a symbol of PTI’s poor performance: PMLN MPA
Meanwhile, PML-N’s MPA Malik Waheed said on a point of order that the people of Lahore were witness to the poor performance of PTI’s government in the province as the streets and roads of the metropolitan were filled with garbage these days. PPP’s lawmaker, Shazia Abid, complained that the MPAs were not getting any medicines from the Punjab Assembly for the last two months.
“The MPAs had already protested over non-availability of medicines in Punjab Assembly and then the health minister told us that medicines worth of 20 million are here for the lawmakers.” she maintained.
The MPA wondered, “I don’t know where this amount was spent as we are still unable to get medicines.” She even asked whether the amount or medicines were consumed by the health minister herself. Later, the Deputy Speaker adjourned the House to meet again on Monday afternoon.
Published in Daily Times, Mach 2nd 2019.