Elahi, who has been elected on a non-Muslim minority seat, said that the government of Punjab had made the demolition of churches its mission. He condemned the demolition of a 20 kanal portion of a church located in Garhi Shahu.
He said that the white on Pakistan’s flag gave minorities the right to live peacefully and speak for themselves.
The MPA said that the Bible had been desecrated during the demolition and the glasses of the church had also been smashed. The MPA termed January 10 “the darkest day in the history of Pakistan”, and said that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had also given surety that the rights and property of the minorities would be protected in the country.
Elahi was cut short by the speaker, who asked him to bring some written element to the house so that the issue could be taken up. The MPA continued to speak at a raised volume and after a heated exchange with the speaker, pointed out the quorum in the house. He said that he would not allow the house to run smoothly unless the grievances of the Christians were addressed.
The speaker, counting the members, adjourned the session till Monday.
Lack of quorum
Only 26 members were present when Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan resumed the session on Friday.
The 33rd session of the Punjab Assembly was adjourned due to a lack of quorum for the second consecutive day after the members of the treasury benches and ministers were found to be absent. The session had resumed at 10:38am, an hour and a half late from its scheduled 9am time.
The quorum has remained a major issue between the opposition and treasury benches for the last couple of weeks. The Punjab Assembly has so far called the session for a total of 62 days.
According to the Rules and Procedures of Punjab Assembly 1997, there is a requirement that a minimum of 93 members are to be present in the house to maintain the quorum. It is also pertinent to mention that the treasury bench has to maintain the quorum if it calls the session and the same for the opposition benches.
The opposition has called five sessions during the last four months and has failed to maintain a quorum as well.
The treasury benches have also faced criticism over the non-availability of its ministers in the house.
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@Insomniac: Not only Lahore but all of Punjab province is by far the most stable and developed region of Pakistan thanks to the efforts of Shahbaz Sharif. When you go to parts of the Punjab outside of Lahore, ask why people all over in Punjab support his rule. He has done a lot for the whole province including making more money available for Southern Punjab and more remote regions. Compare Punjab under its Chief Minister to any other province's rule under its Chief Minister!
Is Shabaz Shreef Punjab's CM??? I always thought he's a Lahore's CM!!!
The optics around this don't look right... Demolition of a church just doesn't look right...
But I don't know the history of the land deed. And we cannot generalize on this incident.
You have to read the politician's statement for what it is: sensationalism meant to create concern and support for him. It's an old trick used by politicians even when there is no proof. Not only minorities but all citizens in Punjab enjoy the priviledges of living in the most developed and smoothly running province of Pakistan. This is the fact and anuyone who goes there will attest to it. Just because a minority of extremist people are trying to hurt innocents or minorities should not tarnish the reputation of the most stable and best developed place in Pakistan. My congratulations to the Chief MInister and local government who work hard to make Punjab so developed.
This is what you can expect from Pakistan. I love this country but don't want to live there. There is no LAW.
The white color in the PAK flag is not equal in size to the green color in the flag. What more can PAK minorities expect them?
Since minority rights are determined by majority, it is a sacred obligation of majority to protect the minority if I remember correctly, even a sura in Quran says so.
In a mixed ethnic or religious societies conflicts between the groups are unavoidable. However, the State should not take sides and should be unbiased. It took the world nearly 2000 years to come to this conclusion. In a society like PAK where the constitution claims religious superiority over the minorities, due process of minority rights is hard to come by even if it is listed in the Preamble to the constitution since it is contradictory to the remaining articles.
Sorry forgot, who cares about constitution in PAK. It is amended every time a new general does a coup or a government is elected.
Pak people only have to read the stalled Fifteenth Amendment to the constitution to realize what kind of society the political parties are planning for and fighting against. I am afraid, one day it will be passed.
Mr. Shahzad Elahi seems like a brave and considerate politician. On a side note, continued absence of public representatives from Punjab assembly is alarming, specially since they are trying to campaign themselves as the righful guardians of the country for next elections.
The news headline contains the worst part "PML-Q". Punjab has become a "Living Heaven" for all the residents in this tenure of CM Shahbaz Sharif. I wish we could have such an excellent administrator for the next 50 years.
Punjab is booming. The opposition is getting nothing "valuable" wrong against the government; hence they are playing this dirty part of politics within Punjab like minorities card etc.
Is Punjab slowly being converted into an extremists province, the news that is comming out of Punjab lately is not only about minorities, its also of women, killing, religious extremes and the helpless being burlalized, How can this be allowed unless the people who are the protectors (Govt.) are encouraging it. Perhaps its too much for one Minister to handle Punjab.
I think that the majority of Punjab's residents would strongly disagree with this caption because Punjab remains the best governed and managed province in the nation.
The current Punjab government this the Pakistani shape of Taliban like terrorist rule. Who only allow to live the people having their like extremist and terrorist ideology.
Former CM Punjab Ch Pervez Elahi was the best CM of the History, 1122 ,traffic wardens. Highway Police, Free education till Matric, Punjab Education Endowment Fund for students full scholarship, Development in he whole province, new and upgraded hospitals, Ring road lhr, 36000km road construction, Shahbaz Shareef should learn from him