Punjab PA condemns Indian aggression at LoC, lauds Pak Army

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly on Thursday unanimously condemned Indian aggression at Line of Control (LoC) and paid tribute to Pakistan Army for giving a befitting response to India besides demanding central government take up the issue before world nations.

The resolution moved by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah on behalf of the entire House stated that the recent mobilisation of the freedom movement in Kashmir had frustrated India which was now targeting innocent civilians, attacking ambulances and violating international laws. The resolution also said India was purposely doing all this to divert world attention from its crimes in the valley where it used pellet guns to blind, injure the Kashmiris and killed dozens of them after a new spirit of freedom among the people of the occupied Kashmir.

The resolution also paid tribute to the innocent citizens who lost their lives in the hands of Indian aggression at LoC and praised Pakistan Army for giving a befitting reply to India. “The central government should also take up this matter before the world nations to press to abide by the international laws” said the resolution which was passed unanimously by the House.

After the passage of the resolution, Dr Waseem Akhter, the parliamentary leader of Jamaat-e-Islami on a point of order expressed dissatisfaction over the way the LoC violation by India was being treated. “Merely resolutions are not enough, India has been on offensive and we have been on defensive, we must also adopt an aggressive attitude now, the nation isn’t satisfied at all with the way we are dealing with the matter” said the JI parliamentary leader who also staged a token walkout in protest ‘over the unsatisfactory Kashmir policy’ of the PML-N government. Dr Waseem Akhter also demanded Sharif government take the entire nation into confidence over the prevailing situation and adopt a courageous stance.

Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmood ul Rasheed on the occasion demanded the government appoint foreign minister and evolve an effective strategy at the diplomatic front too.

Opposition slams govt over deteriorating law and order situation:  Opposition members, on the first day of the 25th session of Punjab Assembly staged walkout over the failure of PML-N government in maintaining law and order in the province, particularly the provincial capital.

On the recent incident of day time dacoity in Faisal Town, whose video also went viral on social media, Mian Mehmood ul Rasheed stated this incident had occurred in his constituency and it reflected the miserable failure of the government in protecting the lives and belongings of people.

“Neither the lives nor the property of people are secure here, even in Lahore where the government claims to have spent billions of rupees,” said the Opposition leader while voicing serious concern over the law and order situation.

“Five people were gunned down in the area of Samnabad, including a father and a son, now this incident of dacoity which has only been noticed because its footage came to surface, this government has neither changed the Thana culture nor improved the working of police whose budget as well as crime rate are increasing at same level” said the Opposition leader. He alleged in every Chowk of the City, people were being robbed but the police hadn’t been able to arrest the culprits, in Lahore, he said in last few months, 40 blind murders were reported, majority of whose cases hadn’t been solved yet.

Coming hard on the law minister who a day ago had stated there was no City in the world where crime rate was zero, the Opposition leader said a person holding an important portfolio shouldn’t issue such irresponsible statement.

The Opposition, led by Mian Mehmood ul Rasheed, staged walkout over the failure of PML-N government in controlling crime.Later, criticizing the attitude of Opposition leader, Rana Sana Ullah Khan said that rather than going for point-scoring, a day should be reserved for debate over law and order.

Rana Sana claimed that there was improvement with regard to Thana culture and crime rate in Punjab which could be proved through facts and figures. On the occasion, Rana Sana also said that at least 3,000 cars stolen from Punjab were going to KP, where smuggling and other crimes continued unabated. He said Thana culture had never been the issue of KP, it was rather the matter related with Punjab and Sindh and the Opposition should avoid point -scoring over it.

Heated arguments between PML-N, PML-Q MPAs: PML-Q MPA Khadija Umer Farooqi and a group of PML-N women MPAs comprising Farzana Butt and Salma Butt exchanged heated arguments over the issue of victimisation of political workers by police. After the PA session was finished, in the corridor of PA, Farzana Butt and Salma Butt, two PML-N women MPAs, started taunting Khadija Umer Farooqi who had criticised Punjab government for using police as a tool to harass political rivals.

Question hour session: Earlier, the PA session started with a delay of nearly two hours and held question-answer session related with the departments of Auqaf, Environment and Mines and Minerals. The ministers and parliamentary secretaries concerned, including Zakia Shah Nawaz, Sher Ali Khan and Saqlain Anwer Sipra, responded to the queries.