Special steps for minorities worship places demanded

LAHORE
MINORITY MPA belonging to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Monday demanded special measures for the protection of churches and other worship places in Punjab while supporting recruitment of security guards from minorities for their protection.
‘In Sindh, for the security of churches and temples, around 2,000 security personnel have been recruited out of which 1,000 belong to Christian community and rest are Hindus, on the same pattern, measures should be taken here and MPAs of this House should be made part of this process’ said Zulfiqar Ghori, an MPA of minority while speaking on the floor of the House in the pre-budget discussion.
He said there was a need to set up security force to protect the worship places of minorities in the province.
Zulfiqar Ghori, who hails from Sialkot continued that there were 11 provincial assembly seats of his district but a minority MPA represents entire province, not a constituency and allocations in the budget should made while keeping in view their population and problems.
Dr Farzana Nazir, another PML-N MPA in her speech on the occasion said that security was a core issue at the moment which deserved utmost attention.
She said in the upcoming budget for the next fiscal year, allocations need to be made for this sector besides all measures meant to enhance the capability, working of our security forces should be taken. She said the police and other security forces needed to be trained and properly equipped to cope with any emergency and due attention should be paid towards it.
Dr Farzana Nazir on the occasion also demanded the Punjab government to equip the hospitals of Punjab and overcome the bed shortage to facilitate the patients. She also demanded ban on setting up new medical colleges and called for setting up health regulatory bodies rather than giving sole authority to PMDC.
Farzana Nazir stressed to enhance the working of research sector while calling for more allocations for it. She also said that services of doctors performing their duties round-the-clock shouldn’t be ignored and their salaries must be increased so that they could also deliver well. She also called for increase in the salary of MPAs on which Deputy Speaker Sher Ali Gorchani assured the House that this suggestion was under consideration.
Bau Akhter, the PML-N MPA from PP-144 in the pre-budget speech called for special allocation for clean drinking water to the area he represented.
He said he was elected from a constituency whose population lived on both sides of GT Road but despite possessing huge historical significance; the area was a picture of neglect.
He said clean drinking water wasn’t available to a huge population whereas most of the part of his constituency was fighting hard against poor infrastructure. He added that PP-144 comprised of a decent portion of Northern Lahore and there were many historical places like Shalamar Gardens but unfortunately proper attention hadn’t been paid to save them from destruction.
Bau Akhter said there was a dire need to set up a government hospital to facilitate the patients. He said in the Wagah blast which occurred a few months ago, there was no government hospital from Jallo to Baghbanpura due to which a private hospital situated near the blast area had to bear the burden of patients.
He said as an MPA, he had floated a proposal of setting up a hospital at an 80 kanal land in his constituency but despite Chief Minister Punjab’s directive, the officials concerned had paid no attention towards it. He said this important issue shouldn’t go un-noticed and proper measures be taken to set up a hospital in the area.
Najma Arshed, another ruling party MPA who hails from Dera Ghazi Khan stated that her district was a junction where all the four provinces meet and it deserved equal attention. She said the Punjab government had taken revolutionary steps for the development of the area and the people wanted a bus service, on the same pattern as Lahore Metro Bus Project.
She said to facilitate the women folk and students, special bus service was needed in the area and allocations should be made for it.