PA urges Centre to release funds

Federal govt accused of usurping provincial rights

LAHORE:

Punjab Assembly passed a resolution against the federal government on Wednesday over not releasing funds for the province, including those for the flood-hit areas.

The house also condemned the alleged humiliating treatment of Senator Azam Swati under arrest.

Provincial Minister for Energy and Food Husnain Bahadar Dreshak tabled the resolution accusing the federal government of depriving the province of its financial right.

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

It did not even help Punjab for rehabilitation of the flood-hit areas, the draft read, adding that the government was neither awarding Punjab’s share in wheat supply nor allowing it to purchase the grain despite facing a deficiency owing to flood, the resolution added.

The house demanded that the federal government grant permission to the province to purchase wheat to avoid a crisis and release the funds due to it.

Tempers flared in the assembly when PML-N members crticised Senator Swat’s tweet, while treasury members denied that he had tarnished the image of any institution.

PML-N’s Khalil Tahir Sindhu claimed that the tweet was tantamount to tarnishing the image of institutions. "These institutions belonged to us and we should give them respect," he said.

Irrigation Minister Lt Col (retd) Muhammad Hashim Dogar said it was astonishing that those who had themselves been tarnishing the image of institutions were now teaching the PTI how to speak about them.

"Had the PML-N been reined in, this day would not have come," he maintained.

Minister for Communications and Works Ali Afzal Sahi presented the resolution condemning what he termed Swati’s "illegal arrest, cruel treatment, physical or mental torture at the whim of the imported government".

The resolution asserted that freedom of expression is an integral part of every civilised society.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2022.