LG Bill to be approved as per law, PA told

LAHORE: Rejecting the objections of Opposition, Provincial Minister for Law Muhammad Basharat Raja has said that new Local Government Bill 2019 will be approved purely in accordance with the law.

Talking to reporters outside Punjab Assembly on Tuesday, the Law Minister, who also holds the portfolio of Ministry of Local Government, said that Opposition was only busy in raising hue and cry for no reason and under frustration, its members had started chanting slogans of ‘Go Nawaz Go.’

Raja Basharat went on to say that the government was committed to transfer power to the grass root level and strengthen the Local Government system and the Opposition would also be given full opportunity to give its input over it. Responding to a question about Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, he said the PTI Parliamentary Party had already reposed confidence in him. He urged the Opposition to play its role in strengthening the assembly.

To a query about NAB cases pending against politicians, Raja Basharat said the government had nothing to do with the cases against Abdul Aleem Khan or Hamza Shahbaz Sharif. To another question regarding the PAC Chairmanship and protest of Opposition that wanted Hamza Shahbaz to be its head, the Law Minister replied that there wasn’t any threat to PA in case Hamza wasn’t made the PAC head. He added that the government couldn’t be dictated by anyone over any issue.

Providing details of the LB Bill 2019 that has recently been introduced in the PA, the Law Minister said that procedure of removal of district chairman or tehsil chairman in the new bill would be with two-thirds majority. However, non-confidence movement cannot be moved against the elected representatives and during the first and the last year. In the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday, the session commenced with a delay of nearly two hours and Mian Shafi Muhammad chaired the proceedings on the Private Members Day.

The question hour session related to health was held in which Minister concerned Dr Yasmin Rashid responded to the queries of the legislators. The PML-N MPA from Narowal Rana Manan protested against government for providing wrong answer to the House. Malik Muhammad Ahmed of PML-N also criticised the Health Minister for providing irrelevant answers in the House and stated that he was asking the question related to province but the answer being provided was related to centre.

Meanwhile, the House plunged into complete disorder when Rana Mashhood of PML-N grilled Prime Minister Imran Khan over his statement during his visit to Iran. His remarks annoyed the Treasury benches and PTI members stood in the defence of the PM. Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, Punjab Minister for Prosecution, said that the PM’s visit to Iran was a federal subject that shouldn’t be discussed in Punjab Assembly. Besides, on the Private Members Day, the House couldn’t pass any resolution due to the absence of the movers and session was adjourned until today (Wednesday).