The Punjab Assembly was unable on Monday to conclude a debate on law and order after a discussion on recent incidents of violence in Lahore and Daska districts besides the report of a joint investigation team formed to probe killings of Pakistan Awami Tehrik workers in a public rally last year.
Opposition Leader Mahmood Rasheed’s resolution demanding an inquiry into the Daska Bar Association president’s killing was passed unanimously. The house also offered prayers for the deceased. Earlier, the opposition leader staged a token walkout to register protest against ‘police handedness’.
Referring to recent unrest in a Christian neighbourhood of Lahore, Shehzad Munshi speaking on a point of order lamented that yet again an entire community had been targeted following allegations of blasphemy that involved a certain individual.
He said blasphemy was a serious matter and it was condemned by Christians and Muslims alike. He said out of fear for their lives several Christian households had reportedly left the neighbourhood in Sanda. Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Minister Khalil Tahir Sindhu told the House that the chief minister had taken notice of the incident and ordered an inquiry. Home Minister Shuja Khanazada promised that investigation would be held on merit. He also asked the House to assist the government in promoting interfaith harmony in the society.
The House managed to pass just one of the three bills scheduled for the day as opposition insisted on a debate on law and order. The Fatima Jinnah Medical University Lahore Bill of 2015 was passed after the opposition withdrew all amendments it had earlier proposed to the draft. The amendments were withdrawn on the condition that the deputy speaker would postpone discussion on the University of Jhang Bill of 2015 and the University of Sahiwal Bill of 2015 and let the House proceed with debate on law and order. Treasury member Dr Farzana Nazir, who had also proposed an amendment to the bill draft, broke into tears as her protests were ignored by the deputy speaker. She later walked up to the law minister and registered her disapproval of the act.
During the law and order debate, Rasheed criticised the government saying that the JIT report on Model Town riots had not absolved it of its responsibility to bring to justice those responsible for the killings.
He said the government had failed to improve law and order in the province. “It has been seven years now that Shahbaz Sharif is the chief minister of the province. He has yet to do anything about law and order,” he said. “We demand that the inspector general of the police be given a free hand to rid the police of political influence,” he said.
As the House failed to conclude the debate, the deputy speaker prorogued the session for an indefinite period and asked the home minister to give his concluding speech at the next session. Ehsan Riaz Fatyana and Sardar Vickas Hasan Mokal had insisted that the debate be concluded on Monday.
Earlier, Mian Aslam Iqbal alleged that Rs26 million had been allocated in the upcoming budget for installation of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and Rs40 million for flood-lights at the Jaati Umrah residence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He claimed that he had received a message from a source in Youhannabad that the chief minister was responsible for the recent riots in the area.
During the debate, the deputy speaker and Sardar Ali Raza Dreshak over allegations against the Gorchani family. It ended after the deputy speaker directed the home minister to investigate the allegations.
Four bills, the Provincial Motor Vehicles (second amendment) Bill of 2015, the Punjab Motor Vehicle Transaction Licensees Bill of 2015, the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (amendment) Bill of 2015 and the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Bill of 2015 were introduced in the House and were referred to the standing committees concerned.
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