Punjab Assembly: House passes six resolutions, rejects two

Resolution demanding doctors to serve Pakistan for at least 5 years after completion of their education was rejected.

LAHORE: Ahead of the Senate elections, parliamentary leaders and members of the treasury and opposition benches of Punjab Assembly had a smooth sailing during Tuesday’s session.

Around six resolutions were mentioned on the session’s agenda, out of which three were passed.

Resolutions passed

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Ziaullah Shah moved a resolution demanding construction of boundary walls around all the graveyards, to prevent incidents of robbery and the practice of magic. The resolution was passed unanimously.

Malik Javed Iqbal Awan’s resolution was also unanimously passed in the house. The resolution stated that the city of Nowshera located in district Khushab shall be declared a tehsil.

Unification Bloc's Sheikh Alauddin moved a resolution demanding federal government to make sanctioning of 50% loans, to various sectors particularly trade, industry and agriculture, binding upon all banks.

Opposition members raised objections over this resolution and pointed out that influential people had taken loans in the name of these sectors and had either left Pakistan without repayment or had the loans written off.

Despite objections, the resolution was passed with majority of votes favouring it.

Resolutions rejected

PML-N's MPA Nighat Nasir Sheikh moved a resolution which stated that all doctors, after completion of their five years medical education, should serve the country for at least five years. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) member Sajida Meer raised an objection against this resolution and urged that such conditions on medical education might discourage people from taking up this profession. The resolution was rejected.

PPP member Major (retired) Zulfiqar Gondal moved a motion which stated that all medicines in the country should be labelled, advertised and introduced with their generic names.

Gondal alleged that if medicines would be labelled with their generic names, then incident like the fake PIC medicine could be prevented. However, this resolution was rejected in the house.

Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) member Sameena Khawar Hayat presented a resolution asking for the establishment of special education centres in every tehsil. No decision was taken about this resolution as the session was adjourned.

Bills passed

Two private bills seeking amendments in the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Privileges Act 1972 were unanimously passed in the house.

According to one of the bills, all members of the Punjab Assembly are required to visit child protection institutions in their constituencies.

The other bill stated that, since the enactment of Provincial Assembly of the Punjab Privileges Act in 1972, no amendment regarding increase of fine was ever made. The bill mentioned that as the value of the rupee have decreased, the fine needs to be enhanced.