PA resonates with ‘war is not a solution’ slogan
MPAs describe release of Indian Air Force pilot as a good gesture
PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
The Punjab Assembly hall resonated with the words “war is not a solution” as the lawmakers lauded the release of Indian pilot.
Speaking on point of order Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) lawmaker Waris Kallu said we were all standing behind the armed forces despite the political differences. “The release of the Indian Air Force pilot is a good gesture but the opposition parties should have been taken into confidence,” Kallu said.
On a point, Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari said war was not a solution to any problem and both Pakistan and India should resolve their issues through dialogue.
“There are issues of education and health in both the countries and therefore they should concentrate on resolving these issues instead of engaging in a war,” Mazari added.
Treatment of captured Indian pilot gets cross-border praise
During the assembly session, it was the second consecutive day when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ministers failed to satisfy the opposition lawmakers on their queries but this time heated arguments exchanged between PML-N’s senior MPA and PTI’s Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment Mian Aslam Iqbal on a question during question answer session in the Punjab Assembly.
PML-N MPA Waris Kallu posed a supplementary question to Iqbal about the policy of the government to regularise the remaining employees of the consumer courts who were working on contract basis, adding 23 officers of courts had been appointed on contract basis while six of them were regularised.
Iqbal blamed the previous government claiming PML-N made a policy in 2013 that all the officers above the grade of BPS 16 were to be recruited through the Punjab Public Service Commission and therefore their regularisation was pending.
At this point, Kallu said the PTI’s ministers don’t believe that they were in power and it’s now their turn to answer us.
Abhinandan walks home through Wagah
He went on to say that if the minister was not completely prepared on the issue of his department then he should seek an exemption for questions.
These remarks provoked the minister who said: “we are cleaning the mess of the PML-N in all departments these days”. Aslam Iqbal took almost an hour to give an answer of only two questions on Friday but still, he could not satisfy the MPAs.
Meanwhile, PML-N’s MPA Malik Waheed said on a point of order that the people of Lahore have witnessed the poor performance of PTI’s government in the province as he said that the streets and roads of the metropolitan city are filled with garbage these days.
Later, the deputy speaker adjourned the House to meet again on Monday.
On Thursday, leaders of different political parties in Punjab rallied behind Prime Minister Imran Khan’s peace overture as the premier announced the release of Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman.
“Khan’s gesture to announce release of the Indian pilot, who dared to enter Pakistan’s airspace, is being greatly hailed by people around the world,” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Additional Secretary Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhry said.
He said Pakistan had once again given a positive response to India. “Khan’s peace gesture has proved to the world that the country did not want to indulge in war and support peace with India.
On Wednesday, the Punjab Assembly passed a joint resolution to applaud the precise action taken by the Pakistan Air Force to shoot down two Indian fighter jets which invaded Pakistani airspace.
The out of turn resolution was passed unanimously as both the treasury and opposition signed the resolution. The resolution, read by Punjab Minister for Law Raja Basharat, paid tribute to the armed forces of Pakistan. The resolution was jointly moved by Minister for Housing Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, former speaker Rana Iqbal and Minister for Law Raja Basharat.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2019.
The Punjab Assembly hall resonated with the words “war is not a solution” as the lawmakers lauded the release of Indian pilot.
Speaking on point of order Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) lawmaker Waris Kallu said we were all standing behind the armed forces despite the political differences. “The release of the Indian Air Force pilot is a good gesture but the opposition parties should have been taken into confidence,” Kallu said.
On a point, Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari said war was not a solution to any problem and both Pakistan and India should resolve their issues through dialogue.
“There are issues of education and health in both the countries and therefore they should concentrate on resolving these issues instead of engaging in a war,” Mazari added.
Treatment of captured Indian pilot gets cross-border praise
During the assembly session, it was the second consecutive day when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ministers failed to satisfy the opposition lawmakers on their queries but this time heated arguments exchanged between PML-N’s senior MPA and PTI’s Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment Mian Aslam Iqbal on a question during question answer session in the Punjab Assembly.
PML-N MPA Waris Kallu posed a supplementary question to Iqbal about the policy of the government to regularise the remaining employees of the consumer courts who were working on contract basis, adding 23 officers of courts had been appointed on contract basis while six of them were regularised.
Iqbal blamed the previous government claiming PML-N made a policy in 2013 that all the officers above the grade of BPS 16 were to be recruited through the Punjab Public Service Commission and therefore their regularisation was pending.
At this point, Kallu said the PTI’s ministers don’t believe that they were in power and it’s now their turn to answer us.
Abhinandan walks home through Wagah
He went on to say that if the minister was not completely prepared on the issue of his department then he should seek an exemption for questions.
These remarks provoked the minister who said: “we are cleaning the mess of the PML-N in all departments these days”. Aslam Iqbal took almost an hour to give an answer of only two questions on Friday but still, he could not satisfy the MPAs.
Meanwhile, PML-N’s MPA Malik Waheed said on a point of order that the people of Lahore have witnessed the poor performance of PTI’s government in the province as he said that the streets and roads of the metropolitan city are filled with garbage these days.
Later, the deputy speaker adjourned the House to meet again on Monday.
On Thursday, leaders of different political parties in Punjab rallied behind Prime Minister Imran Khan’s peace overture as the premier announced the release of Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman.
“Khan’s gesture to announce release of the Indian pilot, who dared to enter Pakistan’s airspace, is being greatly hailed by people around the world,” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Central Additional Secretary Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhry said.
He said Pakistan had once again given a positive response to India. “Khan’s peace gesture has proved to the world that the country did not want to indulge in war and support peace with India.
On Wednesday, the Punjab Assembly passed a joint resolution to applaud the precise action taken by the Pakistan Air Force to shoot down two Indian fighter jets which invaded Pakistani airspace.
The out of turn resolution was passed unanimously as both the treasury and opposition signed the resolution. The resolution, read by Punjab Minister for Law Raja Basharat, paid tribute to the armed forces of Pakistan. The resolution was jointly moved by Minister for Housing Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, former speaker Rana Iqbal and Minister for Law Raja Basharat.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 2nd, 2019.