PA passes resolution to impose taxes on cigarettes

LAHORE:On the Private Members Day, the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution of imposing taxes on cigarettes and other related items.

The House passed other resolutions, including setting up of a hotel near Qaddafi Stadium Lahore to curb load of traffic and ensure movement of ambulances carrying patients, declaring 200 years old village Chak Faizabad of District Okara as a Moza, easing taxation on Sialkot International Airport.

Moreover, the resolution demanding setting up of ramps and railings in the government buildings to facilitate the disabled persons and setting up of water filtration plants in PP 277, Muzaffargarh, were also passed by the House. Meanwhile, Pakistan People’s Party MPA Mumtaz Chahang demanded immediate removal of DPO of Rahim Yar Khan Rizwan Gondal for allegedly targeting him and raiding his house.

Speaking on the floor of the Punjab Assembly, PPPP MPA Mumtaz Chahang said since Eidul Fitr, his house in Nawazabad, Rahim Yar Khan, had been raided twice on the instructions of DPO.

He added that due to the threat to his life from the Katcha area robbers, security was provided to him which was immediately withdrawn while the security personnel were threatened of removal from service by their senior officers if they did not move from my residence where they were deployed.

Just an hour after security was withdrawn, number of police vehicles raided his house and people, including his manager were arrested. He said this was done on the instructions of DPO because he, as MPA took up the issue of corruption in police in Katcha areas where several policemen, including former SHOs owned land.

He said the corrupt officials were removed from the service on his complaint by Additional IG and under the grudge, the DPO directed police to raid his house. He said the said DPO was defaming the Punjab government, adding the Punjab government and the chief minister had nothing to do with this raid.

He stated that he had been pleading the case of his area and exposing the elements behind criminal activities in Katcha area. He also said that his house was raided which was totally unjustified and demanded removal of elements behind this raid.