October 11, 2006	Wednesday	Ramazan 17, 1427

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LAHORE, Oct 10: The Punjab Assembly will hold full-day debates on price hike and law and order in the province on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Law Minister Raja Basharat informed the house on Tuesday in response to a query from Rana Aftab who wanted to know what action had been taken so far on reports that incidences of street crime had increased in cities where the Muttahida Qaumi Movement had opened its offices.

The government, Raja Basharat said, was holding inquiry into every complaint received in this regard and on the basis of solid proofs strict action would be taken against all those found involved.

Rana Aftab wondered that no intelligence agency had informed the government in this regard and said in his city of Faisalabad street crime had increased manifold since the day the MQM opened its offices and appointed some “hardened criminals” as office-bearers. “They have already started receiving `bhatta’ from certain people.”

Arshad Baggu said the MQM had been patronised by a dictator with the motive to end the influence of Jamaat-i-Islami from the Sindh capital. However, the move ruined the peaceful atmosphere of the port city.

“We had requested the government to stop the party from coming to Punjab. A party cannot be stopped from initiating political activities in any part of the country but it cannot be allowed to promote crime,” the Muttahida Majlis-i-Aml legislator from Sialkot said.

Raja Riaz drew the attention of the house towards a `insulting’ statement of the MQM chief against Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and condemned them.

Agriculture Minister Arshad Lodhi informed the house that fertilisers were available in the province at the reduced prices announced by the government. “We are publicising the prices of fertilisers in the national press on daily basis” was his answer on a query from Sheikh Allauddin who wanted to know what measures had been taken to pass on the relief announced by the prime minister in this regard.

Speaker Afzal Sahi said the prices of fertilisers were on the decrease and big dealers would buy huge quantities of the important farm input, store it and sell it later at exorbitant rates.

Appreciating the relief given on fertilisers with retrospective effect, Sheikh Allauddin regretted no farmer benefited from it. Only dealers were beneficiaries by submitting bogus claims.

Treasury member Chaudhry Javed expressed concern over reports that Pakistan was not invited to an international meeting being held on Basmati rice patent rights.

Ehsanullah Waqas said Iran had imposed a ban on the import of rice from Pakistan.

Chaudhry Javed said Iran had stopped rice import from all over the world for two months. Indian authorities had already taken up the matter with their Iranian counterparts though they produce Basmati in one district. Islamabad should also contact Tehran in this regard, he said.