PTI blasts govt for ignoring solidarity resolution

LAHORE
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf opposition leader MPA Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed Thursday in Punjab Assembly on a point of order blasted the Punjab government for not allowing his resolution expressing solidarity with the victims and affected families of the Mina tragedy and recording a strong protest with Saudi Arabia over the treatment of the deceased Pakistani pilgrims, to be tabled.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Member Provincial Assembly Arif Abbasi, meanwhile, called out the government for blocking his submitted resolution on the mismanagement of Nandipur Power Plant from being tabled in the House.
Law Minister Rana Sanaullah addressing the harsh remarks of the opposition leader maintained that both the federal and provincial governments were aggrieved by the loss of lives and undertaking serious efforts to retrieve the bodies and identify those missing after the catastrophic incident.
Sanaullah, however, stated that the resolution drafted by the opposition leader had leveled the responsibility on the Saudi government, whereas it could not be conclusively stated that it was responsible for the deaths.
The House reconvened on Thursday after a delay of one hour with less than 50 MPAs present on both benches and no member of the cabinet in attendance.
Parliamentary Secretary for Food Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Member Provincial Assembly Chaudhry Asadullah appeared to be unprepared for the question hour in his department and relied on frequent notes from the secretary, Food Department.
He was unable to defend the department on the limited jurisdiction of Punjab Food Authority and its focus solely on cracking down on substandard and adulterated food items in Lahore.
Asadullah simply stated after receiving a note from the secretary that a taskforce had been constituted in every district of Punjab to monitor quality of food.
He stated that 6400 samples had been collected from last July out of which 3,900 failed the test, 27 million in fines, 11 FIRS registered, and 770 arrests had taken place.
In a shocking admission, the Parliamentary Secretary for Food stated that 2 lakh litre of milk had been confiscated in Sahiwal only on the basis of adulteration.
Asadullah failed to satisfy Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Member Provincial Assembly Dr Nausheen Hamid who stated that surplus of flour was being taken out of Punjab and into Afghanistan.
The leader of opposition vehemently stated on Thursday that the Parliamentary Secretary for Food was misleading the House by stating that the government price of 750 rupees for 20 kg flour was being implemented.
Rasheed claimed inflation in the prices of food items was at an all-time high with the price of flour rising three times in the past three weeks to the shock of already economically stressed consumer.
In response to remarks by members of the treasury bench that a privilege motion be submitted, the Opposition leader rebuked the government’s casual attitude and said attempts were being made to evade the issue facing small farmers and buyers.
Law Minister Rana Sanaullah after a fiery speech by the opposition leader over the government’s failure to buy wheat from small farmers criticised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for continuing to engage in politics of the container and blocking the Kissan Package from being implemented on the basis of baseless claims of pre-poll rigging. Sanaullah stated that Sindh government had imported 6.5 lakh metric tons of wheat and in response to which Punjab government had complained about the matter to the federal government.
The opposition leader retorted that the Kissan Package was intended to coincide with local government elections to benefit the waning popularity of the ruling party and stated that the government had nothing for the plight of small farmers in the last seven years in power.
The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Member Provincial Assembly added that the internal audits of the district government for the years 2001 to 2014 had not been presented to the House.
The House was prorogued for an indefinite period till further notice.