Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan seemed helpless in bringing Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif to the Punjab Assembly (PA) and took an odd position on Friday to defend the self-proclaimed Khadm-e-Aala stating that the CM was not an unoccupied person like the Prime Minister.
Amongst other statements made, an MPA supported the idea of bringing a ‘Veena Malik-type’ person in the House to ensure regular PA attendance.
Without logic: Sanaullah attempts to defend the Punjab government were interesting. Speaking to media, Sanaullah said, “The CM is not unoccupied person like the prime minister and cannot attend the PA. The CM is a very busy man.” The statement was met by scorn and laughter from media. Sanaullah then said, “Even if there had been a health minister, it would have made no difference, since he would not have given patients medicine himself.” The PA opposition has long since demanded that the Punjab govt appoint a designated health minister to deal with crippling heath crises and demanded that the CM attend PA sessions. However, the law minister appears to suggest the government is set in its ways.
Inside the PA, government and opposition members severely criticised Education Minister Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman for providing false figures about the education ministry.
‘Bring Veena to the house:’ During proceedings, opposition MPA Aman Ulfat pointed to the absence of Parliamentary Secretary Zafar Iqbal Nagra, which meant a report could not be presented in the House. In response, MPA Sheikh Ala ud Din suggested that a personality like Veena Malik should be brought in the House to ensure the attendance of members and the parliamentary secretary in the PA.
During question hour on higher education, Education Minister Shuja ur Rehman said colleges face a shortage of 2,000 lecturers. He admitted a mafia inside and outside boards had conspired against the computer marking system. PML Forward Bloc MPA Sheikh Ala ud Din said that despite spending billion of rupees on education, the education standard in the province was poor. He said that the subject of agriculture being abolished, a teacher was being paid at Pattoki College for the subject. Another treasury MPA Qamar ul Islam Raja said Shuja’s claim that CTI teachers were given salaries on a monthly basis was false, since he himself knew many teachers who had not been paid salaries over the past eight months.
The PA was due to debate the province’s overdraft by the State Bank of Pakistan but PPP member Faiza Malik pointed out the quorum and the session was adjourned till Monday.
