Punjab Assembly adopts resolution against Azam Swati's arrest

The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday passed two resolutions with a majority vote against the "humiliating treatment" with PTI Senator Azam Swati and the federal government for not releasing funds for the provincial government including for flood-hit areas.

The temperature of the house turned heated when the PML-N opposed the content of Swati’s tweet while the treasury expelled the impression that the lawmaker had tarnished the image of any institution.

"The tweet was dangerous and it was tantamount to tarnishing the image of institutions, these institutions belonged to us and we should give them respect," PMLN’s Khalil Tahir Sindhu said.

Read more: FIA denies allegations of torture on PTI Senator Azam Swati

In his response, PTI’s irrigation minister Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Hashim Dogar questioned the credibility of the PML-N, saying that those who themselves had been tarnishing the image of the institutions and naming the officers are now teaching the PTI how to speak about the institution. "Had the PML-N been reigned in, this day would have not come," he added.

He claimed that it is only the PTI that gives respect to the institutions, adding that it is the PML-N that used to earn a bad name for Pakistan through its conduct of mudslinging on the institutions.

Minister for Communication and Works Ali Afzal Sahi presented the resolution condemning Swati’s illegal arrest, cruel treatment and physical and mental torture on the whims of what he called the “imported government”.

Also read: PTI's Azam Swati arrested for ‘controversial’ tweet against COAS

The resolution added that freedom of expression is an integral part of every civilised society. The imported government is playing such cowardly moves merely to halt the long march. This house expressing solidarity with Senator Azam Swati demanded the federal government to release him after withdrawing all false and forged cases constituted against him," it added.

Another resolution was presented by Minister for Energy and Food Sardar Husnain Bahadar Dreshak over being deprived of the right of the province by the federal government.

The resolution stated that the house strongly condemned the federal government’s discriminatory conduct with the province of Punjab, adding that the Centre did not release Rs176 billion for the province for health and other sectors.

It said that the federal government did not even help out Punjab with the restoration of the flood-hit areas, adding that it was not awarding Punjab’s share in wheat nor allowing it to purchase although Punjab is facing a deficiency of the wheat owing to the floods.

The resolution demanded the federal government to grant permission to the province to purchase wheat to avoid wheat crises.

As the question and answer session began, most questions, asked about the cooperatives department, were disposed of by Speaker Muhammad Sibtain Khan owing to the absence of lawmakers from both the treasury and opposition sides. Some lawmakers seemed satisfied with the answers given by the relevant department.

On a point of order one PML-N minority lawmaker, Tariq Masih Gill, drew the attention of the house towards the vacant ministry of the minority. Speaker Sibtain assured him to address his concern.

Later, Sibtain adjourned the house till Thursday at 3pm.