Rana’s refusal to apologise irks PTI MPAs
Two bills passed including one related to compulsory teaching of Quran
PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
MPAs of the treasury and opposition locked horns after Punjab Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah refused to apologise over his controversial statement against PTI’s women workers gathered at the party’s Minar-e-Pakistan rally.
The opposition wanted an apology from Sanaullah, but the law minister made it clear he would never utter “the letter S”, let alone the word sorry. He said that when he withdrew the statement in question on a TV talk show, there was no need to discuss an external matter inside the House.
The PTI’s women legislators stood up and demanded the apology of Sanaullah who responded by saying that he never targeted nor leveled allegations against anyone during his political speech. PTI’s Sadia Sohail Rana said this was a matter of shame to which the law minister retorted that an argument on “shame and morality” could end up opening Pandora’s Box.
Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Khalil Tahir Sandhu quipped in by asking who would tender an apology over the Ayesha Gulalai matter. This was amid slogans of the opposition who were making direct references to Imran Khan’s alleged illegitimate daughter.
Sanaullah refuses to apologise over misogynistic remarks in PA
The opposition walked out the House twice over the conduct of the treasury benches. Mehmoodur Rasheed, the opposition leader, reacted strongly to Sanaullah’s non-apologetic stance.
However, things calmed down when two bills were unanimously passed. The Punjab Compulsory Teaching of the Holy Quran Bill 2017 was taken out of turn after suspending assembly rules, while the second was the Punjab Sound Systems (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill 2018 which was already an agenda item.
Opposition leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dr Waseem Akhtar, the mover of the compulsory teaching of the Holy Quran bill, and provincial law minster Rana Sana Ullah declared Friday as the “biggest day” after the passing of these laws. Legislators from both sides beat their desks in approval.
Compulsory Teaching of the Holy Quran
The teaching of Holy Quran shall be compulsory at all educational institutions…(a) The Naazrah Quran will be taught from class I to V, while the translation of Holy Quran will be taught from VI to XII in such a prescribed manner that the entire Holy Quran is completed up to class, grade, or as the case may be, Level XII.
The Punjab Sound Systems (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill 2018
Four speakers have been allowed in a mosque where only Azaan, Durood, Arabic sermon, Eid sermon and announcements of deaths and missing persons will be allowed under this amendment Bill.
Christian community’s marriages
On a point of order, PML-N minority MPA Shehzad Munshi expressed his dismay over the failure to issue a ‘marriage certificate’ to Christian community members who tied the knot. He added NADRA claimed it has no such software which registered their marriages and this caused much anguish among the community.
Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Khalil Tahir Sandhu said instructions to this effect had been passed two years ago by the provincial law minister to the DCOs of 26 districts for registering marriages of the Christian community. He added NADRA was also attached in the matter which would be looked into if some areas were facing problems.
Munshi asked for a copy of the notification which was sent two years ago to the 26 districts. Sandhu replied that the MPA was free to quote examples of problems faced by Christian community members to obtain marriage certificates.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2018.
MPAs of the treasury and opposition locked horns after Punjab Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah refused to apologise over his controversial statement against PTI’s women workers gathered at the party’s Minar-e-Pakistan rally.
The opposition wanted an apology from Sanaullah, but the law minister made it clear he would never utter “the letter S”, let alone the word sorry. He said that when he withdrew the statement in question on a TV talk show, there was no need to discuss an external matter inside the House.
The PTI’s women legislators stood up and demanded the apology of Sanaullah who responded by saying that he never targeted nor leveled allegations against anyone during his political speech. PTI’s Sadia Sohail Rana said this was a matter of shame to which the law minister retorted that an argument on “shame and morality” could end up opening Pandora’s Box.
Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Khalil Tahir Sandhu quipped in by asking who would tender an apology over the Ayesha Gulalai matter. This was amid slogans of the opposition who were making direct references to Imran Khan’s alleged illegitimate daughter.
Sanaullah refuses to apologise over misogynistic remarks in PA
The opposition walked out the House twice over the conduct of the treasury benches. Mehmoodur Rasheed, the opposition leader, reacted strongly to Sanaullah’s non-apologetic stance.
However, things calmed down when two bills were unanimously passed. The Punjab Compulsory Teaching of the Holy Quran Bill 2017 was taken out of turn after suspending assembly rules, while the second was the Punjab Sound Systems (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill 2018 which was already an agenda item.
Opposition leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dr Waseem Akhtar, the mover of the compulsory teaching of the Holy Quran bill, and provincial law minster Rana Sana Ullah declared Friday as the “biggest day” after the passing of these laws. Legislators from both sides beat their desks in approval.
Compulsory Teaching of the Holy Quran
The teaching of Holy Quran shall be compulsory at all educational institutions…(a) The Naazrah Quran will be taught from class I to V, while the translation of Holy Quran will be taught from VI to XII in such a prescribed manner that the entire Holy Quran is completed up to class, grade, or as the case may be, Level XII.
The Punjab Sound Systems (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill 2018
Four speakers have been allowed in a mosque where only Azaan, Durood, Arabic sermon, Eid sermon and announcements of deaths and missing persons will be allowed under this amendment Bill.
Christian community’s marriages
On a point of order, PML-N minority MPA Shehzad Munshi expressed his dismay over the failure to issue a ‘marriage certificate’ to Christian community members who tied the knot. He added NADRA claimed it has no such software which registered their marriages and this caused much anguish among the community.
Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Khalil Tahir Sandhu said instructions to this effect had been passed two years ago by the provincial law minister to the DCOs of 26 districts for registering marriages of the Christian community. He added NADRA was also attached in the matter which would be looked into if some areas were facing problems.
Munshi asked for a copy of the notification which was sent two years ago to the 26 districts. Sandhu replied that the MPA was free to quote examples of problems faced by Christian community members to obtain marriage certificates.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 5th, 2018.