Assembly session: Fair distribution of gunny bags demanded

Opposition members stage walk out

LAHORE: Opposition in the Punjab Assembly on Monday demanded that the distribution of gunny bags among farmers be made more transparent. They claimed that middlemen were manipulating the situation in south Punjab.

Speaking on a point of order, Sardar Shahabuddin of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) complained that gunny bags were not being distributed in south Punjab. Minister for Mines and Minerals Sher Ali Khan said the government had formed a foolproof mechanism to distribute gunny bags. “Farmers having less than 12 acres are being given gunny bags in the first phase,” he said. Khan assured the House that Shahabuddin’s complaint would be investigated.

Opposition members staged a walk out after PPP member Faiza Malik exchanged harsh words with Parliamentary Secretary for Auqaf Saqlain Sipra during the question hour. Malik had said that Sipra was not familiar with the assembly proceedings being a first-term member. Sipra had responded that he had returned to the House for a third term. He then added that he was a directly elected member, and not a reserved-seat member. Malik protested and Opposition members walked out in her support. They, however, returned after the Speaker sent a member to bring them back.

Speaking on a point of order, Leader of the Opposition Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed said that his adjournment motion should be entertained out of turn and a debate should be allowed in the house on the Rs430 million renovation of the Punjab House in Murree. “A FAFEN report has listed the Punjab at top in terms of bribery and corruption. I congratulate Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on this,” he said.

The Speaker did not accept the request for out-of-turn debate. The Opposition members then left the House after pointing out the [lack of] quorum. The session was then adjourned till Tuesday morning.

An ordinance and a bill were scheduled to be presented in the House on Monday. However, no government business was taken up.

Earlier, speaking to reporters outside the Punjab Assembly, Rasheed had said that all those who had not declared their assets should be held accountable. “However, the prime minister should be the first to be held accountable. If the PM does not accept the opposition’s terms of reference, a movement will be started,” he said.

Talking to reporters, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that many people accused of corruption were giving statements these days about accountability. He said that this included Aitezaz Ahsan. “Some people are attacking the system in the name of accountability. If Opposition is really interested in eliminating corruption, then it should support strengthening of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Political leaders should sit down together to legislate on it,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2016.