Punjab PA adopts three bills amid opposition's boycott

The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday passed Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2019, The Punjab Probation and Parole Service Bill 2019 and the Punjab Village Panchayats and Neighborhood Council (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the absence of opposition.

The opposition walked out from the session after their amendments were not included in the bills. Law Minister Raja Basharat said they received the amendments after the due date. He said six billion rupees were spent on security and pays and allowances of employees of the Chief Minister House and camp offices during 2013 to 2018. While responding to a question of PTI MPA Musarrat Jamshed Cheema regarding expenses of Chief Minister House and camp offices, Basharat said that legally only one site can be given the status of a camp office.

Speaking on the point of order, PML(N) MPA Sardar Awais Laghari said the government should clear its position regarding establishment of South Punjab province after the recent statement of Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan in which he said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has abandoned the idea of making South Punjab province. He requested the speaker to allocate time for debate on the establishment of South Punjab province in the House.

Independent MPA Jugnu Mohsin while speaking on a point of order said that fuel used in the vehicles is the basic reason of pollution in Punjab. She also said the government should introduce Euro-6 fuel in order to control smog and pollution in the province. She said the purpose of raising the question in the House the representative of the government should come prepared in the House on January 9, 2020 to respond all questions on the subject.

Speaker Pervez Elahi directed the government to give a time line for the issuance of scholarships. He also said that House should be informed regarding payment of amount to the affectees of Orange Line Project.