The special committee of the Punjab Assembly has sought a two weeks time for reviewing the Punjab Local Government Bill 2013 before presenting its final draft in the assembly.
On Thursday, the member of the PA Special Committee-II Mazhar Abbas Raan pleaded the PA speaker for more time for reviewing the bill. An extension was granted with the consensus of the assembly members.
EGYPT KILLING: Moreover, Punjab Assembly unanimously passed a resolution against the killing of protesters in Egypt who were demanding restoration of ousted President Dr Morsi’s government in their country. The resolution was moved by the opposition member Dr Wasim Akhtar of Jamaat Islami Pakistan (JIP).
According to the resolution the House condemns the removal of a democratic government of a democratic president Dr Morsi by the Egyptian Army. The resolution also condemned the mass killing of protesters during the recent civil war in Egypt.
LAND SCAM: Furthermore, the Punjab government admitted that irregularities have been found in the transfer of 350 kanals of land in Defence Housing Authority (DHA) by Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB). The speaker announced to refer the case to Anti-Corruption Department for thorough enquiry and legal action.
Responding to the adjournment motion of Shiekh Alauddin, a treasury member, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that irregularities have been found and the matter needs a thorough inquiry as well as legal action. The law minister said that the scam had been confirmed by the concerned authorities of the department in their reply to the assembly and recommended an enquiry should be held through the Revenue Department.
ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF RESIDENCE AT GANGA RAM: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI)’s legislator in the assembly Shunila Rut raised the issue of illegal possession of a residence at Ganga Ram Hospital by Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N)’s legislator Dr Farzana.
She said that Farzana had illegally occupied a residence in the hospital and neither was she paying any rent to the hospital nor she was paying utility bills.
Upon this, Dr Farzana told the house that she was a post graduate student and was staying there for the completion of her thesis which had been dully approved by the Punjab University and Fatima Jinnah Medical College. She said that she was living there legally and had the letter of the vice chancellor as well in this regard.
Farzana said that her father was the holder of three gold medals from Tehrik-e-Karkunan-e-Pakistan and her political opponents were trying to disgrace her. She said that she wanted to file a privilege motion in this regard in the house but the chief minister had refrained her from doing so.
She further said that the hospital’s MS had strong connections with PTI leader Yasmin Rehman and had started propaganda against her.
PTI’s Aslam Iqbal stood up and said that if Dr Farzana was living there legally then she must have an allotment letter from the concerned authority. Moreover, Farzana should provide the receipts of utility bills and rent she had paid while living there for the last 8 years, he said.
NEW BILLS COMING IN: During the Thursday session of the Punjab Assembly, seven bills including The Punjab Commission on the Status of Women Bill 2013, Punjab Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill 2013, Employees’ Cost of Living (Relief) (Amendment) Bill 2013, Punjab Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers (Amendment) Bill 2013, Punjab Shops and Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2013, Punjab Workmen’s Compensation (Amendment) Bill 2013 and Punjab Weights & Measures (International System) Enforcement (Amendment) Bill 2013 were introduced in the house.
THE PROCEEDINGS: The PA session started 48 minutes late to its scheduled time at 3pm under the chair of Speaker Rana Iqbal. Soon after the recitation of the Quran and the Naat, Provincial Minister Tanveer Aslam Malik answered queries during the Question Hour about the Ministry For Communications And Works.
About the construction of new building of the assembly, the speaker did not give a chance to answer the query to the concerned minister rather ensured the house that he would talk to the chief minister to get some funds for the new building.
Treasury member Sheikh Allaudin moved an adjournment motion in the house which disclosed that around 1.7 million motor vehicles were moving on the roads without their registration and number plates. The motion also disclosed that a company that was responsible for importing number plates from Germany had been black-listed by the department due to its failure and fraud as it provided local-made number plates. It further stated that unfortunately, the same company was participating in the new bid for the contract again. The speaker pended the said motion for next week.
Later, the speaker adjourned the session till today (Friday) at 9am.
