Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) legislator in Punjab Assembly Hasan Murtaza here on Tuesday protested barefooted in Provincial Assembly in support of sugarcane growers. Murtaza came to the assembly premises barefooted from the road and sat on the stairs outside the building in protest against non-payment and unfair cuts on the sugarcane farmers. He refused to attend the session and vowed to continue the protest, adding that a sugar mill’s management in Shah Kot had opened fire on protesting farmers, killing one and injuring three.
Other PPP members including Raja Riaz, Farooq Yousaf Ghurki, Iftikhar Babar, Athar Gorchani, Abdul Rehman and Fiaza Malik joined the protest. The protesting members of Opposition benches were claiming that they were not allowed to debate the issue in the house owing to which they have boycotted the assembly proceedings. The Opposition Leader Raja Riaz talking to the media claimed that most of the sugar mills in the province belonged to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his group, hence CM was responsible for the transgression against the sugarcane growers. Most of the Opposition members however avoided the protest, adding that since the issue was going to be discussed in the Assembly there was no need to deceive the masses.
INSIDE, TREASURY, OPP ASK EACH OTHER FOR THEM FUNDS: Punjab Government assured release of Rs 8 million development funds within the next week to each Opposition member amid Treasury MPs demand to the prime minister to give them an equal share from the federal funds worth Rs 70 million to them also as it had been given to the Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) lawmakers in the province. The assurance was given after a strong protest of the opposition against stoppage of development funds. PA PPP-backed Opposition Leader Raja Riaz Ahmad said funds to his colleagues had not been realised per commitment of Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah. He said the government’s attitude towards the Opposition was discriminatory and asked the speaker to take note of the issue. Sanaullah then assured the opposition that the funds would be released within a week. On the occasion, some treasury members said the PM had announced to facilitate the PPP and PML-Q members with funds of Rs 70 million. They demanded these funds should also be announced to the Treasury members of the PA too.
The session on Tuesday started 40 minutes late from its scheduled time at 10 am under the chair of Speaker Rana Iqbal Ahmad Khan. Ironically when the session started, only seven members of the assembly were present in the house.
During the Question Hour related to School Education Department, provincial minister Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman replied queries to the legislators and said 33,000 teachers would be enrolled by next academic year.
Chairman of the Penal Mehar Ishtiaq Ahmad could not control the house due to bickering and chanting of slogans in the House.
On a point of order, Shaukat Basra raised an issue of corruption worth Rs 3.34 billion in the Punjab Sasti Rooti Scheme at which the Treasury members started chanting against the PPP-led government in centre. Opposition members started chanting slogans also when Basra’s mike was turned off and the floor was given to Abdur Razaq Dhilloon who said the PPP government should look at its corruption in the centre first. Rana Arshad also pointed out the Rs 65 billion corruption in the Benazir Bhutto Income Scheme.
Basra accused the Treasury members of lying, at which Sanaullah asked him to file an adjournment motion, to which Raja Riaz also agreed.
Treasury member Sheikh Allaudin also discussed his resolution against declaring India as Most Favorite Nation (MFN) and against Veena Malik while Opposition member Pervez Rafiq condemned his remarks.
The house accepted resolutions on action against sale of substandard petrol and digging iron in Chiniot while resolutions on directorate for child protection and permanent status for Women Crisis Centres were rejected. The session was adjourned till today (Wednesday) at 10 am.
