Punjab Assembly: Opposition slams inquiry report on Model Town violence

House passes the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission (Amendment) Bill.

LAHORE: Leader of Opposition Mehmoodur Rasheed said the Joint Investigation Team’s (JIT) report on the Model Town violence was shameful.

Shouts of “Zaalimo jawaab do, zulm ka hisaab do” from the Opposition rang through the Punjab Assembly during Thursday’s session. Speaking on a point of order, Rasheed said the report was biased. “It gives government officials a clean chit and no justice for the 14 citizens murdered during a police operation.”

He said Justice Baqir Najfi’s report on the incident had not been made public because it held the government responsible. “How can one hope for justice when prominent members of the government are directly involved in the inquiry?”

The Treasury benches responded by shouting “Go Imran Go”. Zaeem Qadri said there were several legal recourses available to those who disagreed with the report. “The JIT had requested the aggrieved parties, which have now rejected the report, to join the investigation several times but they had refused.”

Led by Rasheed, the members of the Opposition staged a walkout.

Despite several interjections from Opposition members who repeatedly pointed out the quorum, the House managed to pass the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission (Amendment) Bill.

Three other Bills pertaining to the Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore, the University of Jhang and the University of Sahiwal could not be passed because the Opposition kept pointing out the quorum.

The amended Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission Act 2015 calls for the addition of at least one woman member of the Punjab Assembly in the group of MPAs nominated by the chief minister to the commission.



The Opposition proposed six amendments to the Bill. However, Law Minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman said the commission was already functioning.

The law minister managed to introduce the University of Okara Bill 2015 and lay on table the Dera Ghazi Ghazi Khan University (Amendment) Ordinance 2015 in the Assembly. They had been kept pending over the week due to lack of quorum.

Opposition members put forward several amendments to the Fatima Jinnah Medical University Lahore Bill 2015.

Dr Farzana Nazir from the Treasury bench also supported the proposed amendments, but the law minister turned them down.

Thursday’s session included a question hour on the Departments of Religious Affairs and Auqaf, Industries, Commerce and Investment. In the absence of the Auqaf minister, questions were made pending.

Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal and Chauhdry Tahir Ahmad Sindhu got into an argument after Sindhu claimed that he was not being allowed to speak. He also threatened to stage a walkout. However, both the Opposition and Treasury benches agreed that the sanctity of the House should not be compromised after which Sindhu apologised to the speaker.

The session was adjourned and will continue on Friday at 9am.

MPA falls ill

Chauhdry Fazalur Rahman was rushed to the hospital in emergency after he suffered a cardiac arrest at the Punjab Assembly.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2015.