PA finally unites against drone strikes

The Punjab Assembly (PA) on Friday passed a resolution against the United States-led drone strikes in Pakistan and demanded the federal government to play its role in ending the drone attacks.

Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah was allowed to present the resolution following a relaxation of the assembly rules.

According to the resolution, “The Punjab Assembly strongly condemns the drone attacks and declares that these attacks are against fundamental human rights and the sovereignty and independence of Pakistan. The drone attacks are being done on the basis of ambiguous information and therefore, are illegal according to international laws.”

The House demanded the federal government to tell the US government that these attacks were unacceptable and the US-Pak relations should be based on mutual respect and equality.

“The House supports Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s stance on drone attacks and appreciates the diplomatic effort of the federal government in this regard,” the resolution states, adding that the federal government should immediately acquire national consensus on the issue of terrorism.

OPPOSITION STAGES WALK-OUT: The PA session on Friday started two hours after its scheduled time, 9 am. Speaker Rana Iqbal chaired the session and during the question hour, ministers Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman and Colonel (r) Shuja Khanzada answered questions pertaining to the finance and environmental protection departments.

However, the opposition staged a walk-out, protesting against the implementation of the Federal Shairat Court’s verdict for adopting an interest-free financial system in Punjab.

In response to a question related to the internal and external debts and loans of Punjab for which the provincial government was paying interest of billions of rupees, an opposition member of the Jamaat Islami (JI), Dr Waseem Akhtar, expressed dissatisfaction over the relevant department’s reply to the House that the government had no proposal under consideration to adopt an interest-free financial system in Punjab, following the shariat court’s decision and Article 2-A of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Though the minister concerned agreed to reply to Akhtar’s question, the opposition member refused him the chance to do so and walked out of the PA in protest. He also asked other opposition members, especially those of the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, to support him and they also walked out of the session.

In the opposition’s absence, the finance minister told the House on a point of order that the introduction of an interest-free financial system was a matter pertaining to the federal and not the provincial government.

Soon afterwards, the opposition members ended their protest and returned to the House.

GOVT FOR WATER-TREATMENT PLANT AT RAVI: Replying to a question about the contaminated, poisonous water from factories that enters the drains in Samundari and Faisalabad and also drains into the Ravi River, the provincial minister said it was confirmed that about 125 industrial units were involved in such practices. Diseases, especially hepatitis, were spreading amongst the people drinking the contaminated water, he said.

He informed the House that the government had established an industrial estate on 4,500 acres land to shift Faisalabad’s 338 industries there. He said a water treatment plant was also installed in the estate and the government has issued challans to all industries that have failed to install water-treatment plants.

During the question hour, Khanzada told the House that the government was making legislations to end the manufacture and usage of polythene bags, adding that awareness campaigns would also be launched in this regard.

He said the government was going to make rules to increase the thickness of the bags from 15 microns to at least 30 microns.

Answering a question about the establishment of a Provincial Finance Commission Award for equal distribution of funds among the districts in Punjab in accordance with the 18th Amendment, the finance minister said that the mayors and other heads of the local bodies would be included in the commission so it would be completed after the local bodies’ elections.

PUNJAB GOVERNMENT TO FACILITATE PENSIONERS: The House also discussed the Punjab Pension Fund and suggested the government ease the rules for pensioners and widows.

The finance minister ensured the House that they had already taken steps to facilitate the pensioners by sending the due amount to their bank accounts directly.

PML-Q WRITING-OFF LOANS OF FLOOD VICTIMS: The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) parliamentarians submitted a resolution in the Punjab Assembly on Friday demanding the government write off the debts and loans of the flood and rain-affected farmers in order to facilitate their rehabilitation.

They said the farmers must immediately be provided cash financial assistance.

The resolution was submitted by PML-Q Deputy parliamentary leader Sardar Waqas Hassan Mokal, Sardar Muhammad Asif Nakai, Dr Muhammad Afzal and Jayeda Khalid Khan.