LAHORE, Nov 17: Overcharging at numerous illegal parking lots in the city and the issue of showering of currency notes at a ‘mujra’ by an influential town nazim dominated the Punjab Assembly’s proceedings on Friday which continued for just two hours.

Both the issues were raised during the question hour regarding the local government department that proved to be the main items of the day. Almost all adjournment and privilege motions, and general discussion on the Punjab Baitul Maal reports for 2003 and 2004 were kept pending for Monday, indicating that both the treasury and the opposition benches were in no mood to complete even the day’s brief agenda.

The attention of the house towards newspaper reports regarding the ‘mujra’ in which Samanabad Town nazim Mian Javed Ali allegedly showered Rs800,000 was drawn by MMA’s Ehsanullah Waqas when Local Government Minister Raja Basharat was replying to the supplementary questions on overcharging at illegal parking lots.

Mr Waqas asked if everyone was equal in the eyes of law, what action had been taken against the nazim. The fact was that the town nazims had been doling out contracts of parking lots to their relatives and henchmen, allowing them to fleece people and showering the ill-gotten money in ‘mujras’, he remarked.

PML’s Rana Sanaullah Khan said he had told the house six months ago that corruption had increased in the administration because of the local government system, but Raja Basharat had replied that the days had gone when the people used to fill their pockets through corrupt practices. “And my response was that now they are filling bags with the ill-gotten wealth,” he said.

He said under the Local Government Ordinance, the chief minister could suspend a district or town nazim found guilty of any misconduct. Afterwards he could remove him through an inquiry. He demanded that the minister should assure the house that action would be taken against the nazim.

Raja Basharat said a notice would be taken of the issue which would be probed either through the local government commission or the chief minister’s inspection team. “Action will definitely be taken,” he gave the assurance.

He repeated the assurance when PPP’s Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan doubted his words, alleging that the nazim would escape punishment because he was the ‘crony’ of a president’s friend.

The main issue regarding the illegal and legal parking lots in Lahore was raised by MMA’s Haji Muhammad Ejaz through a question which invited some other colleagues in the opposition to also raise supplementary questions.

In response to the main question, Raja Basharat first said there were no illegal parking lots in the jurisdiction of the City District Government of Lahore. There were 52 legal parking lots on 32 main roads in the city where Rs3 were being charged for parking a motorcycle and Rs5 for a four-wheeler.

The reply agitated Haji Ejaz and Arshad Baggu and they said it was a pack of lies. There were numerous illegal parking lots and there was not a single one where the men in charge were not overcharging.

The resistance shown by the MPAs made the minister correct his stance, saying he was already confessing that the parking lots were overcharging. Action against hundreds of those fleecing the people had been taken and the government was making the parking lots collect only the prescribed fees.

The session was adjourned till 3pm on Monday.