Punjab Assembly: Govt, Opp poles apart over judiciary’s performance
Waseem Akhtar says judiciary has failed to dispense timely justice.
PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE:
Treasury and opposition benches on Friday differed over the performance of the judiciary.
“The judiciary has failed to dispense timely justice despite law officers being paid heavily,” Jamaat-i-Islami’s Waseem Akhtar told the Provincial Assembly.
“There is a flaw in our judicial system. Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said raising the issue of cases pending in courts.
Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Nazar Hussain Gondal denied that the judicial system was flawed. “Everyone in the system is vigilant and aware of their responsibilities,” he said.
The session on Friday had started three and a half hours later than the scheduled 2pm. It failed to complete its agenda.
While the bells tolled for more than three hours with only opposition members in attendance, the treasury members remained at a parliamentary meeting. The session finally started at 5:30pm with 60 members in attendance and Deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani in the chair.
Speaking on a point of order, Akhtar asked the chair about the reason behind the “historic” delay in starting the session.
Lawmakers could take up only eight queries during the question hour that included issues related to Zakat and Ushr and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Departments.
Members also failed to take up grievances of sugarcane growers. Labour and Human Resource Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar informed the House that members had agreed to postpone the discussion on the issue owing to time constraints and thin attendance.
Zakat and Ushr Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran said counters were being established at various public hospitals to provide information about the availability of funds for the needy. He said Guzara Allowance for those in need of zakat had recently been raised from Rs500 to Rs1,000 a month benefitting 82,000 people.
The House also discussed the poor condition of schools in rural areas and utilisation of land situated next to the assembly, donated by Qudratullah Shahab for MPAs’ hostels.
The session was later adjourned until Monday afternoon.
Senate elections
“Holding transparent Senate elections is the government’s responsibility for which opposition parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, should lend their support,” said government spokesperson Zaeem Qadri told the media at the assembly.
He said the PML-N’s parliamentary party meeting on Friday had allowed for an interaction between voters and candidates for the polls.
He said the government intended to introduce the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution to ensure that elections were non-controversial. He said opposition parties should back the legislation for the sake of a strong democracy.
He said a political party was worried about its members being bought off before the elections. He said the government was committed to ending load shedding by 2017.
He said the issue of raising lawmakers’ salaries was not under consideration.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2015.
Treasury and opposition benches on Friday differed over the performance of the judiciary.
“The judiciary has failed to dispense timely justice despite law officers being paid heavily,” Jamaat-i-Islami’s Waseem Akhtar told the Provincial Assembly.
“There is a flaw in our judicial system. Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said raising the issue of cases pending in courts.
Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Nazar Hussain Gondal denied that the judicial system was flawed. “Everyone in the system is vigilant and aware of their responsibilities,” he said.
The session on Friday had started three and a half hours later than the scheduled 2pm. It failed to complete its agenda.
While the bells tolled for more than three hours with only opposition members in attendance, the treasury members remained at a parliamentary meeting. The session finally started at 5:30pm with 60 members in attendance and Deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani in the chair.
Speaking on a point of order, Akhtar asked the chair about the reason behind the “historic” delay in starting the session.
Lawmakers could take up only eight queries during the question hour that included issues related to Zakat and Ushr and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Departments.
Members also failed to take up grievances of sugarcane growers. Labour and Human Resource Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar informed the House that members had agreed to postpone the discussion on the issue owing to time constraints and thin attendance.
Zakat and Ushr Minister Malik Nadeem Kamran said counters were being established at various public hospitals to provide information about the availability of funds for the needy. He said Guzara Allowance for those in need of zakat had recently been raised from Rs500 to Rs1,000 a month benefitting 82,000 people.
The House also discussed the poor condition of schools in rural areas and utilisation of land situated next to the assembly, donated by Qudratullah Shahab for MPAs’ hostels.
The session was later adjourned until Monday afternoon.
Senate elections
“Holding transparent Senate elections is the government’s responsibility for which opposition parties, including the Pakistan Peoples Party, should lend their support,” said government spokesperson Zaeem Qadri told the media at the assembly.
He said the PML-N’s parliamentary party meeting on Friday had allowed for an interaction between voters and candidates for the polls.
He said the government intended to introduce the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution to ensure that elections were non-controversial. He said opposition parties should back the legislation for the sake of a strong democracy.
He said a political party was worried about its members being bought off before the elections. He said the government was committed to ending load shedding by 2017.
He said the issue of raising lawmakers’ salaries was not under consideration.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 28th, 2015.