Opposition protests against Karachi killing

LAHORE

The opposition boycotted Punjab Assembly proceedings on Wednesday in protest against the killing of Pakistan International Airlines employees in Karachi, warning the rulers to stop running the country autocratically.

Opposition members chanted slogans like ‘Lathi Goli Ki Sarkar Nahee Chalay Gi, Nahee Chalay Gi” and ‘Shame Shame’ and protested at the stairs of the assembly.

 “Never before in the history of a civil government in Pakistan, 14 innocent people were murdered and now the killing of PIA employees in Karachi is another example of brutality,” said opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed while speaking on a point of order immediately after the question-hour session.

He said that Federal Minister Pervaiz Rasheed had threatened to use all tactics against PIA employees and the government did what its representative had said earlier.

He urged Deputy Speaker Sher Ali Gorchani to allow him to move a resolution against the incident. Interestingly, instead of waiting for the answer to his request, he announced the boycott of the proceedings and started protesting outside the building.

Criticizing the opposition leader for doing politics on Karachi incident, Azma Zahid Bokhari of the PML-N said he was trying to mislead the nation by not twisting facts. She said facts had come to surface that revealed that shots were not fired by Rangers. She also said it was Sindh government led by the PPP which had requested deployment of Rangers for security during the protest and criticizing forces for political gains was highly regrettable.

Transgenders: Sheikh Allauddin of the PML-N through an adjournment motion demanded transgenders be treated with respect and called for at least 25 percent representation for them in gynae wards, female surgical wards, girl colleges, hospitals and cardiac wards.

Speaking on the floor of the house, he said that this segment of society was maltreated. He said transgenders deserved rights like normal human beings and their capabilities could be utilized in health sectors, particularly hospital wards relating to women.

He said transgenders had already got the right to vote and they must be given all other rights as citizens of Pakistan.

Responding to the adjournment motion, Nazar Gondal, Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Parliamentary Affairs said that there was no bar on transgenders from applying to any advertised positions. 

The Sheikh, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the answer and asked the parliamentary secretary to provide detail of their recruitment on vacant posts. The motion was disposed of.

Balochistan Assembly Speaker: Raheela Durrani, the first woman Speaker of Balochistan Assembly, was accorded a warm welcome by MPAs on her visit to the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday.  Azma Bokhari of the PML-N and Saadia Sohail of the PTI on behalf of the PA welcomed Raheela and lauded her role as a politician in a province like Balochistan.

Question Hour session:

The PA session which began with an hour’s with Deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani in the chair held the question-hour session pertaining to agriculture, youth affairs, archaeology and tourism.

Agriculture Minister Farrukh Javed responded to queries relating to his department. 

Ilyas Chinioti was concerned at financial setbacks to potato growers in Punjab. He told the house that a sack of potato cost Rs 1,000 to a grower but it was being sold at Rs 400, thus causing a loss of at least Rs 600 to growers per bag.

The minister said the province had witnessed a bumper harvest of potato and the government had taken all measures to facilitate its exporters by waving off export duty last year. He said the situation would improve for growers after Feb 15 when export would begin.