Ministers’ absence irks deputy speaker

Law minister says around 97% cabinet members remain absent from assembly

LAHORE:

Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari has asked the provincial government to ensure the presence of its ministers in the house to respond to the queries about their relevant departments.

The matter drew more attention when the provincial law minister admitted the government’s failure in convincing its ministers to attend the house proceedings.

“Around 97% ministers are absent in Punjab Assembly as a result of which most of the business of the house suffers pendency,” Provincial Law Minister Basharat Raja added.

Deputy Speaker Mazari expressed his displeasure over the absence of the ministers in the assembly and directed the government to ensure the presence of its ministers in the house.

During the question-answer session, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) parliamentary secretary emphasised amending relevant law ensuring the appropriate size of the government official residences.

Read More: Govt admits ‘lack of interest’ by ministers, secretaries in PA

He was responding to a question put by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) lawmaker Mian Tahir Pervez who proposed the government convert the huge residences, spreading at acres, into public parks.

As the parliamentary secretary emphasised to amend the law to reduce the size of the land on which the residences of public officers have been constructed. Deputy Speaker Mazari seconded the parliamentary secretary and said: “you should change the system through amendment if it is necessary”. The parliamentary secretary admired the proposal of PML-N’s MPA and ensured the house that the government will discuss the same.

“We did not raise the question how Sindh uses its water but Sidh always raises objection on Punjab,” Minister for Irrigation Muhammad Mohsin Leghari said while lambasting the Sindh government.

“Punjab is the only province working on its water resources,” the minister said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2021.