PA passes Layyah Varsity, Punjab Public Financial bills

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly Monday passed the University of Layyah Bill 2022 and the Punjab Public Financial Management Bill 2022 with the majority vote.

The bills were tabled after suspending the rules. The House chaired by Speaker Sabatin Khan also passed a resolution condemning the maltreatment of opposition leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh by Sindh police. The opposition staged a walkout in protest against the suspension of the rules of business for holding the House proceedings for the business which according to them was not on the agenda and without taking the opposition into confidence. The opposition members raised slogans while walking out of the House, terming the proceedings illegal and unconstitutional. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Raja Basharat tabled the bills after requesting the chair for suspension of the rules to allow the government to table them. He also presented the report of the Standing Committee on Higher Education before the House and audit reports of the year 2017-18 of the various departments. The opposition members were of the view that the bills were brought out of the agenda and their approval was against the rules. They demanded copies of the bills. Speaker Muhammad Sabatin Khan in this regard directed the government to provide the copies immediately. But the government ministers did not provide the copies of the bills and began the process of legislation on the bills. The PA Speaker stopped the House proceedings until the copies of the bills were provided to the opposition members. But the copies of the bills were provided to the opposition after the walkout. The Speaker observed that the government had placed the copies of the bills on their desks.

Treasury member Shawana Basheer of PTI tabled a resolution before the House condemning the ill-treatment with the opposition leader in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh by the Sindh government. The resolution stated that the House strongly condemned the violation of the sanctity of the four walls and honor of Haleem Adil’s home because of the raids of the Sindh police, and the victimisation of the elected opposition leader of the provincial assembly.

It said oppression of the Sindh government will come to an end soon. Punjab Assembly expresses solidarity with Haleem Sheikh, and demands withdrawal of fake cases against Adil Sheikh. The Speaker adjourned the proceedings until 2 o'clock on Dec 5.