Punjab Assembly: Group behind Khanzada’s killing identified, says Sanaullah

Parliamentary secretary grilled over community development funds

LAHORE:

Law Minister Rana Sanaullah informed the provincial Assembly on Thursday that the suicide attack on slain home minister Shuja Khanzada had been carried out by Aftab Group, an affiliate of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). 

Sanaullah said investigation into the attack was underway.

“Identification of the attackers has led to substantial progress in the case,” he said.

The law minister said that the probe was being conducted by the Counter-Terrorism Department and intelligence agencies. He said they had tracked down the attackers and found a motorbike used in the attack.

This was the second time this week that the law minister apprised the House about progress in investigation into the Attock attack.

Deputy Leader of Opposition Sibtain Khan had sought information.

He urged Deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani not to dispose of his call attention notice until the investigation was complete.

Question hour

MPA Nosheen Hamid of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) said the Local Government and Community Development Department had failed to release funds for development in constituencies of opposition lawmakers.

Parliamentary Secretary Ramazan Siddique Bhatti denied this. He said lawmakers were part of the district committees. “When they point out pressing issues, projects are launched to resolve them,” he said.

Siddique Khan said opposition members were not part of these committees and had not been granted funds for projects. Hamid said many slaughterhouses were not following Sharia-ordained practices.

“There are videos on social media showing how haram meat is being sold,” she said. The parliamentary secretary said the authenticity of these videos was questionable.

“It is not even clear that the slaughterhouses are located in Lahore or in an other country,” he said.

The secretary said that the department aimed to set up more slaughterhouses in the south of the city.

“Strict hygiene standards will be maintained,” he said.

Ahmed Shah Khagga disputed the information supplied by the secretary and demanded that the minister be called. The secretary had said that there were 61 villages in Pakpattan. Khagga said there some 120 villages.

Aslam Iqbal urged the speaker to seek an explanation from the department on why incorrect and unsatisfactory responses were provided.

Water filtration plants in Faisalabad, alleged gender insensitivity of district reconciliation committees and illegal occupation of land at the Miani Sahib graveyard were also discussed. The House was told that there were 10 security guards at the Miani Sahib graveyard, the largest in Lahore.

The parliamentary secretary said the guards did not carry firearms.

“They have been provided torches and sticks but...are incapable of preventing land grab,” he said.

He said cases against illegal occupation of graveyard land were being pursued in courts.

Aslam Iqbal said, “There are not only encroachments but also illegal constructions in the graveyard.”

He also questioned the effectiveness of security arrangements.

The secretary said the department intended to upgrade security and would soon employ more guards.

Saadia Sohail asked about the charges for burial. She said the government should provided for free burial. The secretary said the department charged Rs100. An undertaker charged Rs2,000, he said.

He said the cost varied, depending on the material used.

The session was scheduled to include a discussion on annual reports of the Punjab Public Service Commission and the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority. The debate could not happen because of lack of quorum.

The opposition members protested over not being provided the reports.

The session was adjourned for Friday morning with less than 50 members present in the House.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 4^th, 2015.