Wrong, delayed replies, minister’s absence infuriate MPs

LAHORE
Legislators in the Punjab Assembly Tuesday expressed their sheer dissatisfaction at the answers to their queries related with Punjab Higher Education Department (PHED), whose Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmed also came under criticism for being absent from the proceedings.
The PA session, which started with a delay of nearly one-and-a-half hours with Deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani in the chair, held the question hour on the PHED.
Mehwish Sultan, the parliamentary secretary for higher education, who hails from Chakwal, had to answer the questions, raised by the MPAs in the absence of Rana Mashhood. The deputy speaker also directed the department concerned to improve its working.
“Don’t make mockery of this House; what your department is doing,” the deputy speaker remarked in anger, while responding to the complaints made by the legislators.
“The education minister is missing; I suggest an FIR should be lodged for his recovery,” said Jamaat-e-Islami parliamentary leader on a point of order while voicing concern over the absence of Rana Mashhood from the house.
Ahmed Ali Malik, a legislator from the treasury benches, expressed his anger at the way queries of the MPAs were treated by the department concerned.
Malik, who has also served as the parliamentary secretary for law in the PML-Q era, asked the chair to take notice of the long delay by the PHED in answering the queries.
“What’s the status of a question whose answer is provided in the house after 18 months,” asked Malik while urging the chair to direct the department concerned to improve its functioning.
Mian Tahir, another PML-N MPA, who hails from Faisalabad, also expressed his displeasure at the way his question was treated by the PHED. He said the replies made in response to his questions were incomplete and unsatisfactory.
However, the question which added to the trouble of the parliamentary secretary and the PHED officials was related with land of a cricket ground, owned by the Punjab University Hailey College and being ‘used’ by the Punjab government for Metro Bus Service.
Dr Farzana Nazir of the PML-N asked the minister concerned to explain how much time was needed to make the cricket ground usable for students again.
The question was received by the department concerned on Sept 20, 2013.
However, despite passage of more than one-and-a-half years, the department failed to submit a reply. The situation not only invited criticism from the members across the divide but also infuriated the deputy speaker, who reprimanded the parliamentary secretary as well as the officials for it.
In response to a question raised by Asif Bajwa Advocate, the parliamentary secretary admitted that so far no classes have been held for BCom and MCom in the Postgraduate College, Daska, Sialkot due to insufficient teaching staff.
The answer led to further debate in the house as Asif Bajwa, not only rejected the stance of the department but also put up a question that in the same college, staff was available to conduct intermediate classes but for graduation and post-graduation students, shortage of staff was beyond understanding.
“Is it hard for a teacher of I Com to teach BCom in the same college, or someone who teaches FSc is unable to teach BSc in the same institution,” asked Asif Bajwa. Bajwa also expressed his dissatisfaction at the wrong answer provided by the department but deputy speaker intervened and further debate could not take place.
The PML-N members including Malik Arshad, Nighat Nasir Sheikh, Ashraf Ansari and Mian Tahir also expressed their dissatisfaction at the answers to their queries and stressed that proper attention be paid to address the complaint. PML-N MPAs from Dera Ghazi Khan and Multan reacted strong to the remarks of a senior journalist in a private channel programme regarding the prevailing sense of deprivation among southern Punjab MPs, who could even ‘sell’ their vote for a few hundred thousands rupees in the Senate polls.
Sardar Javed Akhtar Lund, one of the PML-N MPAs, who hails from DG Khan, on a point of order just at the beginning of the PA session, protested against the remarks and said the journalist insulted the people of south Punjab. He said there must be some code of conduct for the media who had no right to insult anyone while using any platform.
Najma Aslam, a woman MPA who also hails from DG Khan, said every worker of the PML-N stood by its leadership and would always act as per the directions of Mian Nawaz Sharif, the party head.
Rai Mansab, the PML-N MPA who hails from Multan, also expressed his anger at the remarks.
The deputy speaker asked Sardar Javed Akhtar Lund to table a privilege motion in this regard. Sources said the Punjab Assembly is likely to pass resolution against these remarks in its sitting on Wednesday (today).