Seven ordinances presented in Punjab Assembly

LAHORE:A Punjab Assembly session was held under the chairmanship of Speaker Ch Pervaiz Elahi here on Friday.

According to a press release, Provincial Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja presented seven ordinances in the House. These included Ordinance (Prevention and Control) Epidemic Diseases Punjab 2020, Ordinance (Amendment) Local Government Punjab 2020, Ordinance (Amendment) Dehi Panchayateen and Neighborhood Councils Punjab 2020, Ordinance (Amendment) Stamp Punjab 2020, Ordinance Anti-Hoarding Punjab 2020, Ordinance (Amendment) (Promotion and Regulation) Private Educational Institutions Punjab 2020, Ordinance (Punjab Amendment) Majmooa Zabita Deewani 2020.

Speaker Pervaiz Elahi referred the ordinances to the Standing Committees concerned with the direction to submit their reports in two months in each case. Provincial Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashed told the House that the government was taking every possible measure for tackling the corona pandemic, doctors and paramedics had also been provided with all facilities and the government also increased the number of Corona tests and all patients in quarantine centres were also being provided with all facilities. Opposition MPAs Khwaja Salman Rafique and Uzma Bokhari said that the government had spent Rs 11 billion for tackling corona but the result was zero. They said that the government should improve facilities for corona patients.

The opposition members said that medical staff had not been provided with facilities for fighting the coronavirus in accordance with the directions of the World Health Organization and Ehsas Programme SOPs were violated. On completion of the agenda, the Speaker adjourned the Punjab Assembly session until 11:30am on Monday, May 11, 2020.

jail reforms: Provincial Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Welfare Raja Basharat has said that it has been decided to bring comprehensive reforms for the betterment of Punjab's jails and prisoners.

He was presiding over a meeting in this regard at the Civil Secretariat on Friday. The meeting was briefed by officials of Home Department, Prisons Department and Law Department.

Raja Basharat stressed that the prison reforms programme should be completed as per the directions of the chief minister. He said the main purpose of the new reforms was to make prisoners responsible citizens by rebuilding their character. He said the establishment of parole service and independent department was an important step of the PTI government which would facilitate the work of parole and eliminate the existing complications. The meeting agreed to amend existing laws and rules related to prisons and increase the use of modern technology.