A resolution was passed unanimously in the Punjab Assembly during its 25th session that started on Thursday condemning the continuous violations at Line of Control (LOC) by the Indian forces.
Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan moved the resolution out-of-turn in which it was demanded that the federal government must raise the issue of Indian aggression across the LOC at the international level.
“This house pays rich tribute to the Pakistan Army for giving a befitting response to the aggression of Indian forces,” the resolution read. Although the resolution was passed unanimously, the government faced severe criticism from the opposition benches over its ‘weak’ Kashmir policy.
Leader of Opposition Mian Mehmood ur Rashid said that the federal government must immediately appoint a full-fledged foreign minister to fight the Kashmir issue diplomatically. He said that there was also a dire need to overhaul the Kashmir committee and dynamic leadership is required for this committee as Maulana Fazl ur Rehman has failed to do something for the people of Kashmir.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Parliamentary Leader Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar said that the government should now take concrete steps instead of just passing the resolutions of condemnation. He registered a token walkout from the house against the weak Kashmir policy of the government.
The law minister said that the army was giving befitting response to the Indian forces and so far 23 soldiers of India have been killed by Pakistan army.
Speaking on his call attention notice, the leader of opposition said that the law and order situation in Lahore is worsening, but the law minister is giving irresponsible statements.
He was of the view that the robbery at the traffic signal in Faisal Town that falls in his constituency has exposed the tall claims of good governance of the government. According to him, the crime rate is on continuous rise while the budget of police department has been increased by Rs 20 billion. “The PML-N is ruling in the province for last nine years but they could not change the typical ‘thana culture’ in the province,” leader of the opposition said, before walking out from the house.
Responding to the criticism, Rana Sanaullah said that the opposition does not have the courage to listen to our replies as they walked out immediately after delivering non-serious speeches.
“In this session, the situation of law and order will also come under discussion and I’ll prove that the crime rate in Lahore has decreased drastically since the launch of Dolphin Force and Police Response Units (PRUs)”, he said.
The minister said that in the last few days, some incidents of lawlessness surfaced in Lahore but the gang would be arrested soon. It is our collective responsibility to restore the law and order in the province but unfortunately opposition comes to the house just for the sake of point-scoring, he said.
Earlier in the day, answers related to Auqaf and religious affairs, mines and minerals and environment protection departments were given in the house. To a question asked by Hina Pervaiz Butt, Minister for Environment Protection Zakiya Shah Nawaz said that multiple factors played their role in the smog that affected the lives of citizens a few days ago.
“The festival of Divali, setting on fire the crops in the fields and emission of pollution from the vehicles were some factors that caused the smog,” she said. According to the minister, 51 small industries were sealed for emitting the pollution during the smog days by the environment department.
An exchange of harsh words was also witnessed between the woman lawmakers. Khadija Umar, a female lawmaker from PML accused the lawmaker of PML-N Farzana Butt of abusing her in the house. “It is my third term in this house but I never witnessed such uncivilised parliamentarians”, Khadija told media persons outside the assembly.