Record laws made despite hurdles: Raja Basharat

LAHORE : Punjab Law and Cooperatives Minister Raja Basharat has said that in the last two-and-a-half years, the Punjab Assembly has passed 68 bills and made record legislation while implementing only 33 ordinances, which shows the best example of good governance.

The law minister said this while addressing a press conference with Special Assistant for Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan here on Wednesday.

He said the chief minister wanted to upgrade the outdated laws for the welfare of people in the province so we followed the same vision of the chief minister and enacted record legislation in the face of a huge opposition. “Past governments have not deliberately changed the laws of the

nineteenth century, while we have updated the centuries-old laws of cooperatives and prisons and continue to do so,” he said.

Raja Basharat said, “We also had the full support and encouragement of Speaker Punjab Assembly Ch Pervaiz Elahi.” The law minister said that the democratic thinking of the speaker gave confidence to the government and that is why the Rules of Procedure have been amended. The Chairmen of the Standing Committees were not activated earlier but the speaker helped make them active. Punjab Local Government Act 2019 was brought and passed which is a manifestation of the vision of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister.

The government passed the Punjab Public Private Act to give legal protection to investment, the minister said. "Effective legislation was also enacted with regard to FATF.

We ensured through amendments in the Sugar Act to bind sugar mills for timely commencement of sugarcane crushing and timely payment to the farmers. By passing the Ravi Development Act, the government has made important plans for Lahore. Laws have also been passed for speedy disposal of cases,” he added. Raja Basharat said that research centres are being set up in the law department and Punjab Assembly for new legislation.

The opposition has always put its own interests before the interests of the people and has not shown a positive attitude towards legislation. The decision of local body elections is to be taken by the Election Commission. The court had banned rallies in view of the Corona epidemic and the opposition should respect it and prove its national responsibility.