NA resolution expresses solidarity with Kashmiris

Opposition protests after speaker shuts mike of PPP lawmaker

ISLAMABAD:

The National Assembly passed a unanimous resolution Kashmir Martyrs’ Day on Monday to express solidarity with the Kashmiri people and to condemn the atrocities being committed by the Indian forces in the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IOJ&K).

Also, the lower house of the parliament unanimously passed another resolution which makes it mandatory for the universities under the federal government across the country to teach holy Quran with Urdu translation.

State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan presented both the resolutions. The resolution pertaining to teaching of Quran in universities was drafted by Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal.

In addition to the two resolutions, a motion to send the Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) Bill 2020 to the joint session was also passed. Presenting the motion, Adviser to Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan said that the MLA Bill was passed by the National Assembly but not by the Senate and now the government wanted to pass the law in the joint session.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)’s Ayesha Ghous Pasha, while referring to media reports, questioned on the opening of the Afghan transit trade. She asked the government to explain why and under what conditions the Afghan transit trade was being opened and why had Pakistan given this concession to India.

“Why trade from Wagah border was allowed on Kashmir Martyrs’ Day,” she questioned. “Will it be considered loyalty to Kashmiri martyrs today? The government should explain.” She further asked “how will the government ensure that there will be no terrorism and smuggling under the guise of trade?”

During the session, the Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari informed the house that her ministry had taken notice of the caricatures about the Hindu community and assured that all the sacrilegious material was being removed from the social media.

Before the assembly could begin discussion on agriculture, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Abdul Qadir Patel drew the house’s attention towards a JIT report by the PTI’s Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi and levelling of allegations against him.

Patel said that the minister was allowed to read out unconfirmed allegations from a sub-judice report, adding that serious allegations had been made against him. While defending himself, Patel said that he would continue to speak about the incompetence of the government.

Patel continued his speech in the house but Speaker Asad Qaiser turned off his microphone, saying Patel’s remarks and attitude was unbecoming. Protesting on the speaker’s decision, the opposition started shouting slogans in favour of Patel and demanded that he be given a chance to speak.

When the opposition and the treasury benches were shouting slogans of “Qadir, Qadir” and “Killer, Killer”, respectively, the speaker directed the treasury benches to table a motion for debate on agriculture.

Following the motion, National Food Security Minister Syed Fakhar Imam started the debate on agriculture. He said that the country needed “real things, instead of fake ones” to bring about a real change in the agricultural sector.

The minister said that the agriculture sector had the capacity to meet the national demands. “If we need wheat, agriculture will give us wheat; if we need cotton, agriculture will give us cotton,” he said. “It is about time to take some difficult decisions for the betterment of the sector.”

He told the house that a package of Rs30 billion was being approved for farmers. The package would be approved by Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) and likely to be announced on August 14 by the Centre and the provinces.

PML-N’s Ali Gohar criticised the government’s agriculture policies and pointed out that the electricity for tube wells was being given at Rs5 per unit during PML-N’s tenure but the tariff had now risen to Rs11 per unit. He also said that the sugar mills were not making payments to the farmers and the government should come up with some strategy to solve the issue.

PTI’s MNA Nawab Sher drew the house’s attention towards lack of research on seeds. PML-N’s Rao Ajmal Khan said that the Punjab Seed Corporation had been closed for the last 15 years. Khan added that the current situation made it clear that the wheat situation would be more serious next year.

Earlier, the government opposed the move of immediately opening the OPDs in the hospitals, saying it would lead to increase in coronavirus cases. Parliamentary Secretary for Health Noshin Hamid said that OPDs were closed on the recommendation of the WHO, adding that corona cases were decreasing and if the NCOC gives instructions, they will be reopened.

The assembly would resume discussion on agriculture on Tuesday.