Four opposition parties in the Punjab Assembly have formed an alliance to give a “tough time” to the government, making a resolve they will not let Punjab government spend the budget allocated for health, education and safe drinking water on the Orange Line train project.
The alliance’s maiden meeting presided over by opposition leader Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed issued a joint declaration, demanding the treasury should take the house into confidence about the ongoing projects which were initiated without the Punjab Assembly’s approval.
The meeting was participated in by PPP’s Khurram Jahangir Wattoo, PML-Q’s Waqas Hassan Moakal and Khadija Umer, independent Ahsan Riaz Fatiana and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Dr Murad Rass, Saadia Suhail and Jamaat-i-Islami’s Syed Waseem Akhtar.
The meeting observed that the PML-N government was running province’s affairs through promulgating ordinances without taking the assembly into confidence. He said the treasury was not convening assembly session which was “tantamount to the house’s insult”.
The meeting said the Punjab government launched Orange Line train project without debating it in the house and added that its cost had now crossed Rs200 billion.
The meeting demanded the treasury must remove the opposition’s reservations regarding the train project, explaining the conditions which were accepted to take loan from Chinese banks, as well as must ensure protection of historical buildings while executing the project and before acquiring land from residents the government should pay them handsome compensation.
He said the government should change the train route to ensure that a minimum number of people got displaced due to the project.
The opposition alliance vowed that it will not allow the government to spend health, education and safe water budget on any other project.
The alliance has also condemned the Punjab government for ignoring development works in south Punjab and rapped the government for imposition of taxes on agricultural instruments and pesticides, demanding revival of subsidies for farmers and installation of solar-powered tube-wells.
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