LAHORE: Failure of the ruling PML-N to maintain quorum in the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday rendered it unable to have passed the important Punjab Development of Cities (Amendment) Bill 2014 that aims at transferring the powers of district nazims in development authorities to the chief minister.

The unwanted short quorum was pointed out by an opposition member when Speaker Rana Iqbal was about to complete the lengthy procedure of the passage of the bill robbed Law Minister Rana Sanaullah of the smile he earlier sported while forcefully rejecting all amendments of the opposition to the bill with the majority vote of his now missing colleagues.

After counting, the quorum was found short but the speaker avoided to declare it and instead adjourned the proceedings till Thursday morning saying time for Wednesday was over.

The law minister was focused and sharp in technically knocking down the suggested amendments by the opposition.

But actually they were defeated by the majority vote of his comrades most of whom lost interest in the proceedings and slipped away when the clause by clause adoption of the bill was almost over and the speaker was about to seek final vote for its adoption.

Though defeated, the opposition members nevertheless raised objections to the bill which they said was against the constitution. They said it was aimed at giving powers of the local governments to the chief minister who was already holding around 20 portfolios and acting as a foreign minister.

Ms Faiza Malik said the bill would benefit only the chief minister and rob the local councils of their vital function.

Opposition Leader Mehmoodur Rashid, Sibtain Khan and others wanted the government to first seek public opinion on the bill and then present it in the assembly. Their stance was that the people would ultimately reject it.

The law minister said there was no such provision in the law so the amendment had no locus standi.

Earlier, the law minister introduced three bills -- the Punjab Employees’ Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (Amendment) Bill, the Punjab Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill and the Punjab Livestock Breeding Bill.

RUMPUS: A rumpus was created in the house when the opposition termed the youth festival as mega corruption during the question hour, demanding an inquiry into it.

Youth Affairs, Sports and Tourism Minister Rana Mashhood rejected all these allegations and said no corruption was committed in holding the festival.

And when he was fielding objections to the festival his colleagues and the opposition members started exchanging taunts and slogans, suppressing the pleas of the speaker to order.

The rumpus was created after PTI’s Aslam Iqbal said the government was wasting tax payers’ money in creating useless records like breaking walnuts with forehead.

Mr Mehmoodur Rashid seconded Mr Iqbal and claimed that the department purchased 200,000 track suits at the rate of Rs1,100 per piece as against the actual price of Rs200 per piece.

The minister rejected the claim and said only 1,500 suits were purchased for those participants who stood victorious at all stages of various competitions.

He said there was no corruption in holding the festival as around 12 committees were looking after its affairs and everything was purchased strictly in accordance with Pepra Rules.

He said not a single objection was raised in the audit of the sports and youth festivals held last year. “Should we give Kalashnikovs to the youth instead of attracting them towards sports,” he asked.

He said three international organizations were studying the impact of the festivals on youth in Punjab. The Guinness Book of World Records sent teams to monitor the sports festivals which produced talent from union council to the provincial level.

The minister said a national youth festival too was on the cards in which around 40 countries were likely to participate. As many as 26 countries had participated in the last held festival.

He said the youth who broke the walnuts had been invited by the Guinness Book of World Records at its head offices. “Our young people have broken the world records,” he said.

He said the record making national anthem singing event was organized with the help of sponsors who would be compensated on the occasion of the international youth festival.

The minister said a large number of people had witnessed the jeep rally in Cholistan where the government intended to carry on development work and construct two rest houses.

He said the Abbasi family had been asked to preserve the historic Derawar Fort or the government would take it over.

NURSES: Mehmoodur Rashid raised the issue of nurses and regretted that the government was letting them sit on the road in the night to press for their demands. “It is highly regrettable. At least send these girls home with honour,” he said.

The law minister said the nurses had been assured of the acceptance of their demands but they thought that only protest would do the needful.

“We are not ignoring them and would accept their demands in the next few days,” he said.