Punjab PA takes exception to ex-envoy’s statement

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Friday condemned former high commissioner to UK Wajid Shamsul Hasan for his reported statement that declaring Qadiyanis as infidel was a wrong decision of ZA Bhutto government and was taken under pressure of Islamist quarters.
In a unanimous resolution, the house demanded that the government take necessary action against him under the constitution and relevant laws. The resolution read out by the treasury’s Waheed Gul said the controversial statement has hurt religious sentiments of Pakistanis and the Muslims all over the world.
The resolution said the statement is also tantamount to ridiculing the unanimous legislation of the National Assembly. Other prominent treasury members presenting the resolution included Maulana Ilyas Chinioti, Allama Ghayasuddin, Mehfooz Mashadi, Nighat Sheikh and others.
Earlier, resolution mover Waheed Gull boycotted the house proceedings when deputy speaker refused to take up the resolution in the absence of law minister. The chair asked the member to wait till the law minister arrived but he refused to stay, saying it was the most important business of the day and must be taken up ignoring everything else. The member returned after some time with Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.
Deputy Speaker Sher Ali Gorchani took notice of absence of several questions by the department and issued a warning that concerned minister and parliamentary secretary would be held responsible for delayed, incorrect and insufficient replies in future. Expressing indignation, the deputy speaker asked the parliamentary secretary for Information Rana Arshad to hold an inquiry against the officials ignoring the assembly business and report to the house within 15 days after taking action against the responsible.
Several treasury and opposition members criticized sugar mill owners for denying and delaying payments to poor growers for months and years, causing them hardships and forcing them to commit suicides. The deputy

speaker summoned the minister for food, secretary of the department, cane commissioner and all relevant officials in the house next Monday to explain the situation.
The issue was raised by treasury member Sheikh Alauddin who drew attention of the house towards non-payment of growers’ dues amounting to over one billion rupees by sugar millers in his constituency despite an elapse of one year.
He informed the house that the defaulting sugar millers were demanding the government through newspaper advertisements that they be given bank loans to ensure payments to growers. He said the millers had no stocks of sugar to pledge as collateral for loans, and government should inquire the relevant departments if the millers were actually being given the loans. On the other hand, the government had paid over 90 per cent of their dues but were denying payments to the growers.
PTI Deputy Parliamentary Leader Aslam Iqbal said sugar millers had raised price of sugar from Rs 45 per kg before Ramazan to Rs 70 in two months but still reluctant to pay dues of growers. He said one sugar miller owed dues to one of his friends for last three years but was still adamant not to pay. He alleged that sugar millers were involved in hoarding and black marketing of sugar and victimizing poor growers.
Sanaullah asked the MPAs desiring arms licences to have at least 15 days training at the Elite police training school before they are issued licences. Replying to the members’ demands for arms licenses, including those of Kalashnikovs, the law minister said only two licences of prohibited bore could be given to the members of the house. The issue was raised on a point of order by treasury member Mazhar Abbas Raan.
Treasury member Tariq Mahmood Bajwa informed the house through an adjournment motion that sick animals and carriers of several diseases were being sold in the province, accusing the district governments of connivance with the mafia patronized by livestock department that was charging exorbitant prices for sub-standard and sick animals. He said a number of illegal slaughter houses were set up by the mafia all over the province unchecked by the concerned authorities. The house also passed the Quran and Seerah Education Institute amendment Bill (2015).