Opposition MPAs ask for uplift in their areas
Sanaullah says development bodies formed through executive order.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan. PHOTO: PPI
LAHORE:
The sixth session of the Punjab Assembly resumed on Monday with the opposition, led by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, demanding development schemes for their constituencies.
Opposition Leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, rising on a point of order, demanded the government consider the constituencies of opposition members while framing development schemes. He said the government had constituted district development committees in this regard but only Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz law makers sat on the committees and discussed development schemes for their own constituencies.
Rasheed requested the government to also issue development funds for the opposition’s constituencies. Development work should ideally be carried out by local government representatives, he said, “but the government has been delaying the local body elections on one pretext or another.”
He demanded that the government announce a date for local government elections.
Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan responded saying the government was committed to holding local body elections. He pointed out that the Lahore High Court had ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct delimitations afresh on a petition filed by the PTI. Sanaullah said the government would announce the local government elections as soon as the ECP finalised delimitations and announced a new schedule for the elections.
The law minister said the government had previously met the deadline for the elections set by the Supreme Court, but the Lahore High Court had struck down the delimitations.
Responding to the comments about development funds, Sanaullah said the district development committees had been constituted on executive order, not through the Punjab Assembly’s rules of procedure. PTI’s Ahmad Khan said he had filed a petition against the Mianwali district development committee with the LHC...the court had demanded a reply from the government on it.
He said the planning and development secretary had replied that elected representatives had the right to suggest and devise development schemes for their constituencies.
Khan said the Mianwali district development committee comprised PML-N candidates defeated in those constituencies. They have devised the development schemes for his constituencies, said Khan.
Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan said the government was sympathetic in the matter.
Sanaullah said the opposition members should consult their leaders before demanding favours. Last year, Rasheed’s younger brother, working in the Lahore Development Authority, was transferred by the government. The move was widely criticised by the PTI leadership even though the transfer had come on merit, Sanaullah said. The speaker adjourned the session till Monday 10am.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2014.
The sixth session of the Punjab Assembly resumed on Monday with the opposition, led by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, demanding development schemes for their constituencies.
Opposition Leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, rising on a point of order, demanded the government consider the constituencies of opposition members while framing development schemes. He said the government had constituted district development committees in this regard but only Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz law makers sat on the committees and discussed development schemes for their own constituencies.
Rasheed requested the government to also issue development funds for the opposition’s constituencies. Development work should ideally be carried out by local government representatives, he said, “but the government has been delaying the local body elections on one pretext or another.”
He demanded that the government announce a date for local government elections.
Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan responded saying the government was committed to holding local body elections. He pointed out that the Lahore High Court had ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to conduct delimitations afresh on a petition filed by the PTI. Sanaullah said the government would announce the local government elections as soon as the ECP finalised delimitations and announced a new schedule for the elections.
The law minister said the government had previously met the deadline for the elections set by the Supreme Court, but the Lahore High Court had struck down the delimitations.
Responding to the comments about development funds, Sanaullah said the district development committees had been constituted on executive order, not through the Punjab Assembly’s rules of procedure. PTI’s Ahmad Khan said he had filed a petition against the Mianwali district development committee with the LHC...the court had demanded a reply from the government on it.
He said the planning and development secretary had replied that elected representatives had the right to suggest and devise development schemes for their constituencies.
Khan said the Mianwali district development committee comprised PML-N candidates defeated in those constituencies. They have devised the development schemes for his constituencies, said Khan.
Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan said the government was sympathetic in the matter.
Sanaullah said the opposition members should consult their leaders before demanding favours. Last year, Rasheed’s younger brother, working in the Lahore Development Authority, was transferred by the government. The move was widely criticised by the PTI leadership even though the transfer had come on merit, Sanaullah said. The speaker adjourned the session till Monday 10am.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 11th, 2014.