June 10, 2006	Saturday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 13, 1427

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LAHORE, June 9: The provincial assembly on Friday passed the Punjab Emergency Service Bill 2005 with the active support of the opposition, giving a legal framework to the emergency service created through an executive order.

Five other bills were also introduced and four ordinances laid in the assembly and were referred to the standing committees concerned for perusal.

One of the bills was for providing medical facilities to the parents of the speaker, the deputy speaker, ministers, parliamentary secretaries, special assistants, advisers and MPAs on the pattern of the government servants.

Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja moved the emergency service bill as recommended by the standing committee on health. It was passed after amendments relating to the motion included in the list of business were considered.

There was no objection from the opposition that had withdrawn its amendments in good faith, allowing the passage of a law meant for the public good. The service has already been launched to provide swift ambulance facility to the people in distress.

The law minister thanked the opposition for its cooperation in the passage of the law, giving a legal cover to what he said the initiative taken by the chief minister for the welfare of the people.

He said the government was making laws beneficial to the people. The present assembly had started the tradition of accepting amendments of the opposition regarding such laws and would continue to do so in future.

Responding to an earlier objection by MMA MPA Ehsanullah Waqas, he said the Punjab Assembly’s performance had been excellent and it was not fair to compare it with other provincial assemblies. The assembly could not hold its pre-budget session because 50 MPAs had gone to India, he said. Mr Waqas had complained that the assembly was not meeting regularly.

PML-N MPA Rana Sanaullah said the opposition had always played its positive role regarding the legislation about the welfare of the people. The latest service was an extension to the Rescue 15 launched by former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif. The assembly, he said, should allow debate on law and order and other important matters.

Deputy Speaker Shaukat Mazari, who was in chair, appreciated the chief minister for introducing the service and thanked the opposition for helping adopt the law. He said all positive suggestions of the opposition should be accepted.

“Your attitude is positive. Confrontation is of no use and you can serve the people only through this attitude,” he said.

Earlier, the law minister introduced five bills and laid four ordinances in the house which the deputy speaker referred to the standing committees concerned.

The bills were: The Canal and Drainage (Amendment) Bill 2006; the Punjab Revision of Medical Facilities of Public Representatives Bill 2006; the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (Amendment) Bill 2006; the Punjab Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill 2006; and the Ali Institute of Education, Lahore, Bill 2006.

The ordinances were: The Punjab Prohibition of Kite Flying (Amendment) Ordinance 2006, the Punjab Consumer Protection (Amendment) Ordinance 2006, the Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance 2006, and the Punjab Development of Cities (Amendment) Ordinance 2006.

Mr Waqas and Rana Sana objected that an amendment to the local government ordinance could not be made without the prior approval of the president. Therefore, the law minister could not lay the amendment ordinance in the house.

The law minister said the government had already sought the president’s approval and showed the related file to the house. It was the job of the standing committee to check legality of the draft law, he said.

He had earlier tabled the annual report of the Punjab Baitul Maal for 2004 and the annual report on the observance and implementation of principles of policy for the same year.

PRIVILEGE MOTION: The deputy speaker referred to the privileges committee a motion, moved by treasury MPA Syed Abdul Aleem Shah, which accused the health secretary of misbehaving with the mover.

Law Minister Raja Basharat and health minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed did not object to it. And in view of the overall support of the house, the deputy speaker said the motion was being referred to the committee upon a unanimous decision that no-one could breach the privilege of the house.

Mr Shah said he went to the secretary for discussing upgrade of a hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan but the officer said the project could not be implemented and was, therefore, being withdrawn. He quoted the official as having said “he knows more than the assembly and the chief minister” when reminded that the upgrade had been approved in the Punjab budget for 2005-06.