Punjab Assembly committee to take up complaint against Chinoy
The provincial assembly decided on Thursday to refer to its Standing Committee on Women’s Development to probe the allegations that Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy did not fulfill her commitments to an acid attack survivor.
The house decided to summon all stakeholders in the matter to the committee’s next meeting.
The PA session resumed on Thursday at 12:08pm instead of the scheduled time of 10am and was chaired by Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan.
Sajida Mir, a Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) member rose a point of order and asked the speaker to form a committee to probe the allegations against Chinoy.
She said Rukhsana Bibi had reconciled with her husband and they were black mailing Chinoy.
Sheikh Alauddin, a Unification Bloc member, on Wednesday had moved an adjournment motion claiming Chinoy had promised Rukhsana Bibi Rs3 million, a home in Multan and free plastic surgery for her face to work in the Oscar winning documentary, Saving Face. The house had expressed sympathy with Rukhsana Bibi and suggested that she move a court.
Mir said, “I appreciate the house’s position but I want to ask: who will punish Rukhsana Bibi’s husband for throwing acid in the first place?”
She then suggested the house form a committee to probe the matter. She said she supported Chinoy’s decision not to provide cash to the woman since it would be used by her husband.
Law Minister Rana Sanaullah agreed that the matter should be referred to the standing committee.
Speaker Rana Mohammad Iqbal Khan forwarded the matter to the committee. When some opposition members said the committee had yet to meet, Sanaullah said a notification would be issued soon and this would be the first matter it takes up.
Bills
Three bills, including The Punjab Motion Pictures (Amendment) Bill 2012, Punjab Metro Bus Authority Bill and Punjab Zakat and Usher Bill were introduced in the house.
They had been referred to standing committees concerned a month ago and had been cleared.
Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, the minister for education, answered questions regarding the department.
The Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (Amendment) Bill 2011 was passed. The ammendment exempts police officials from proceedings under the law.
Rai Shahjahan, a PPP legislator, said police should not be spared from investigation under the PEEDA act. Rana Sanaullah responded that police officials had complained that the PEEDA had a lengthy process while police had its own disciplinary laws in the Police Order 2002.
The speaker then prorogued the 39th session for an indefinite time period at the opposition’s request.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2012.
Correction: In an earlier version of the story, the first paragraph was running a grammatical error. The error has been rectified.
COMMENTS (34)
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She is so insensitive that she used a sick person for her advantage and did not share the gains with her.
People here call her american agent or the person from western world etc. They do so, because they are driven by such assemblies, and they should better research it by themselves as what the truth is all about. We should see the cause for which she made a documentary and that cause is rampant in Pakistan. People sitting in the assemblies maybe are the main perpetrators of such crime and because they are afraid of conviction, they are trying to attack the maker of documentary.
@taz: Corruption is everywhere. From North to South and East to West. General Mushy (sorry General/President Musharraf) is living and travelling in luxury. Even with a salary of five laks a month he would not be able to own this luxury property in London not to forget about Dubai and other cities. Where and how did the General get such money?
@Muhammad: Yes you would wish that. Your tried with bringing in to forefront DPC, the Memogate and stopping GLOC but failed in all miserably. The flavor of the century is democracy and not guns.
@DevilHunterX: The difference is one is elected by the people while the other comes thru a gun.
Forget Sharmeen's promise, What about all the promises these leaders made to the awam before going to the assemblies? What should be the punishment for them for not honoring any promise made to the awam?
@Jagmohan Dalmiyah: Well said brother. And how about the government giving the acid thrower exemplary punishment so that others like him have think twice--nay, a thousand times--before commiting a horrendous act like this
For the love of God why take action against Chinoy when her husband is the real culprit? We just love to bad mouth our heroes especially if its a woman!
How about we first arrest the man who threw the acid on the poor lady in the first place and then talk about Chinoy? Amazing nation we are!
So no action against the hate mongering in local media and the sectarian violence rife within the country, but OH someone wins an oscar and she's fair game!
Great decision by Punjab Government after solving all the problems of common people of Punjab and bringing justices to the culprits who threw acids on women and making sure all human rights are respected it has taken the right decision to bring to justice the film maker who incidentally brought only Oscar award to Pakistan for making allegedly false promises to the acid victim now after this case is solved we will be relieved that no other big issue in Punjab is left to be resolved.
I'm not sure if the readers have got the issue at hand. When the documentary was made, Rukhsana was living away from her husband and had no one to fall back on. Hence the promise for the house, money and operaton. But since then she has gone back to her husband (unfortunately this happens only in the sub-continent). Ms. Chinoy has pointed out that this fellow, who was a good for nothing, would eat up all the money, hence the reluctance. Valid point, I think!!! Knowing how it goes, I'm sure he would again outcast her, once he knows that no money is coming his way...let's see!!
@Butt: yea good excuse, by the way is the establishment also responsible for corruption of politicians? i guess they r forcing politicians to do corruption n get rich. right?
This is totally sad and purely illogical. Had this woman not been in the documentary, would any government official be bothered to look into why and how had the husband thrown acid on the lady. Furthermore, what is the proof and any legal contract that links Ma'am Chinoy to the aforesaid payments.
It is a shame that all the taxpayers money is going to futile discussions like this. The parliamentarians should have some sense as to what other national issues are at hand that need immediate dispensing.
And if at all, there is some fleeting truth in these allegations, its a court case, and parliamentarians should focus on much more important cases. Please, we beg you to have some mercy on this country.
LOL...how many ppl this same govt has arrested adn punished for throwing acid on women? Shameless twists. Pakistanis are so spiritually dead!!!!! Like blind sheep that can be swayed in any direction.
If she promised to that lady, she should definitely honoured it other give her severe punishment.
I find it surprised that some people are linking allegations against Chinoy with her acheivement. What have the two in common? She won oscar, excellent. However if she has beoken her promise to this victim then she should be punished. It is as simple as that. Winning an oscar does not grant her immunity from alleged wrongdoings.
Lets not say anything to people who throw acid
@Butt: They they should resign. What the point in getting all the benefits and when it comes to duties say "everything is in establishment's hands".
They are making sure that not even one sane Pakistani stays in this country...i am sure Chinoy already decided which country she is going to stay for the rest of her life....
@Butt: What's the difference? Please attempt to explain.
LOL, we have a trend of putting the blame to others while keeping ourselves pious as angels, ESTABLISHMENT is to be blamed hm, where as pml n and ppp have done phenomenal work in our country's prosperity.
How about the government failing to provide the victim with security in the first place.
It is now a common practice here that political parties try to cash-in every opportunity. We are champions in disgracing our own people who are trying to establish a positive image of Pakistan in the west. There are other more important issues to resolve than wasting nation's time and money on something which would bring only shame and sorrow.
She should be jailed for selling the dignity of Pakistan
Who will talk about solution to loadshedding in the month of Ramadan at least? the MPA's are too busy discussing the lamest and unnecessary things ever!
Nation which disgrace their heros!
They have nothing to do except waste on tax payer money by indulging in illogical non issues
we are the one, who usually disgrace our own National Heroes & Heroines . . . ???
@DevilHunterX: The Government is never in power, it is only the establishment.
If you had committed then honor your commitments, don't bring disgrace to yourself and the nation please. Don't tarnish your achievement.
How about the complaint that the government failed in its commitment to Pakistan?