Body to resolve MCAT, academy mafia issue

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal has constituted a nine-member committee to contemplate on the issue of the Medical Colleges Admission Test (MCAT) and academy mafia brought to the floor of the house by PTI MPA Mian Aslam on Monday.

The assembly session started at around 11:20 Tuesday with the speaker addressing the issue raised before the house on Monday. While constituting a nine-member committee, the speaker appointed Punjab Minister Rana Mashhood as the head of the committee.

In the question-answer session, Punjab Minister for Mines and Minerals Ch Sher Ali Khan, while answering a question by Mian Naseer Ahmed regarding iron ore reserves reported in Chiniot, said the government has been working on the project ever since the mineral reserves were identified. He told the assembly that the government is in the final stage of establishing a steel mill in this area, which will be the first of its kind in Pakistan. He said the exploration of these reserves has been completed with the help of Chinese, German, Canadian and Australian experts. After 62,000 meters of drilling and around 10,000 laboratory tests, it has been revealed that there are other precious metals that can be mined from these reserves other than just iron. The minister said three companies, DMT and ‘Mines & Metals’ from Germany and Endeavour Financial from the UK, has been working day and night for the past nine months. The Punjab government has planned to organise international ‘Road Shows’ to attract investment for this project later this year.

Malik Omer Farooq asked if the district sports committees in Rawalpindi were operative and where the funds of these committees were being utilised. Provincial Minister for Sports Jahangir Khanzada told the assembly that the district sports committees have been non-operational due to the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2001; however, the ministry has been working to revive these committees after the Civil Administration Ordinance 2017. The minister said that despite that, gymnasiums had been completed in the district. He also said the government was considering that the sports grounds of government education institutions be opened for public use after hours.

PML-N MPA Hina Pervez Butt submitted a resolution to give legal cover to ‘Home-Based Workers’. The resolution demanded that the 12 million women associated with this profession deserved to be legally registered, so that they could become eligible for getting their rights of social security and health.

PTI MPA Murad Raas pointed out the quorum at 12:11; the assembly was prorogued until Wednesday (today).