NDF organized Tri-Cycle Race competition held in Nawabshah
LAHORE – The Punjab Assembly on Monday unanimously carried a resolution to seek reserved seats in all tiers of the parliament, for the disabled persons in a manner they are allocated for women and minorities, so that they could also raise voice for their rights.
The resolution was presented by Alipur Niazi before the House which kick-started proceedings 65-minutes beyond the fixed time with Deputy Speaker Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan in the Chair. Appreciating the resolution, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah sought the same seats for eunuchs and the mentally retarted, however, without explaining whether it would serve the cause of legislation and improve working of the House from bottom to the top.
As the House kicked off the proceedings, the Chair announced resignation of four MPAs namely Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa, Michael, Kamal Ali Agha and Mohsin Leghari who have been elected to the Senate. Their resignations have been accepted.
On the government business day, the House took up questions relating to the Communication and Works department to which the Minister Ahmad Ali Aulekh gave answers.
The House also took business of various adjournment motions which filed previously. The House pended most of them till next session and received reply to some others. One was moved by Ch Zaheeruddin, Ch Amir Sultana Cheema and Khadima Umar, to retrieve the official cars from 10 former top civil servants including four IGs, two judges, one chief secretary, one Home secretary, Chairman Task Force and Mustafa Ramday. The House was told that the concerned department taken notice of published report and the vehicles would be got back within a week.
The second most vivid part of the proceedings was the Opposition demand for the release of development funds to its members. The issue got a hilarious touch when the Opposition said: “the matter has been stuck up between three ‘Rajputs’ namely, Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, the Deputy Speaker Rana Mashood Khan and the Law Minister, Rana Sanaullah as they have made commitment on releasing them funds but the needful has yet not done which cuts a sorry figure for the Rajput who never relegate on their promise.” Enjoying the moment, Rana Sana said Raja Riaz is the fourth Rajput and the issue was taken up with him. He said the treasury members had serious reservations on the Opposition demand after they received Rs 7.5 crore each from the Prime Minister and want the same amount for them if they want the funds from the Punjab government. Shaukat Basra admitted funds from the Federal government but not to the tune of Rs 7.5 crore and that too, not to all. Uzma Bokhari said women members had not been treated at par with the male members. She said each PPP member received Rs five crore while woman just Rs two crore and the same situation was on the side of the benches where funding to the male runs into billion and the women much lesser than what was their due. Nazim Hussain Shah of PPP did not want the provincial government to commit another wrong with the Opposition member after they had been discriminated about the federal funds.
During the course of proceedings the Opposition tried best to derail the proceedings to Mahran Bank funding scam to stir the hornest’s nest against the PML(N) leaders whom the President of the Bank Yousan Habib accused of receiving the money among other politicians. PPP Parliamentary Party leader, Zulfiqar Gondal and Shaukat Basra backed by others, repeatedly touched upon the Mehran Bank issue in a bid malign the Sharif brothers alleging that they received the ISI political bribe and if they didn’t, they must say it on oath before the House.
Gondal said if Waheeda Shah could be penalised for a wrong act why not the Sharifs. The Opposition wanted to play up the issue but the Chair seeing through their intentions, did not permit them to speak on the matter maintaining that the matter was subjudice and the Sharifs also given their point of view on the allegations which had been published in the newspapers.
Sheikh Allauddin floated the idea of brining a bill in the house following, the precedent of Indonesia, for depositing salary of the husband in the bank account of his wife so that they do not feel deprived. He asked Uzma Bokhari to take the initiative and promised support while Uzma dexterously threw the ball back in Sheikh’s court asking him to also include the businessmen in this area and start it with transferring your money to account your spouse.
The 35th session on the completion of 100-day has been prorogued indefinitely.
Filed under: News from Pakistan on March 24th, 2011
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