LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday witnessed a heated debate between treasury and opposition benches on the fate of Bab-i-Pakistan and in a while parliamentary secretary for information and culture Rana Arshad told the house that the project was still with the army and had yet not been handed over to the Punjab government. The opposition leader and the parliamentary secretary continued calling each other liar for speaking contrary to the facts in the house as the question on Bab-i-Pakistan, moved by independent MPA Ahsan Riaz Fatiana, was taken up.

The Bab-i-Pakistan was conceived to highlight the spirit of Pakistan Movement and commemorate the refugee camp established at the site during Partition.

Mr Arshad contested that he was speaking truth and stated that the PML-Q government led by Pervaiz Elahi had handed over the execution of the project to the Pakistan Army through a presidential directive in September 2005. The project cost was estimated at around Rs2.447 billion.


Parliamentary secy says army hasn’t handed over project to govt


Expressing Punjab government’s willingness to complete the project, Mr Arshad told the house that the government had written a letter to the army saying that progress was far less at the project site, which was conceived by former Punjab chief minister Ghulam Haider Wyne in 1991.

“As soon as the 960 kanal land will be handed over to the Punjab government after removing all liabilities, it will immediately start work on the project,” Mr Arshad asserted.

While the heated arguments were on, Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal announced completing the Question Hour and said nothing could be discussed on the question asked in the Question Hour.

Undeterred by speaker’s assertion, Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed reprimanded the treasury for its failure to re-start the construction of the project carrying national importance.

Mr Rasheed said the parliamentary secretary had spoken a white lie and added that the PML-N’s Punjab government had not spent a single penny during the past eight years of its rule. He also alleged that the Punjab government had now discarded the original plan prepared by renowned architects and designers. He alleged that the government was planning commercialising some of the land in the name of generating resources for the sustainability of the project.

“The parliamentary secretary has no valid information and is telling lies in the house,” he said.

Parliamentary secretary Arshad waved some letters in the house and asserted that he was speaking facts based on available documents. He said neither any part of the project land had been leased nor commercialised.

The heated argument could suspend for a few minutes as the mover of the question on Bab-i-Pakistan pointed out quorum.

As the house resumed its proceedings after completing the quorum, the speaker took up the issue of granting two-month extension to different standing committees for submission of reports.

After the grant of extension period to the respective standing committees, the opposition did not let the Bab-i-Pakistan issue go. Amidst speaker’s assertion that the parliamentary secretary was not present, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Dr Waseem Akhtar reproached the government for keeping work on the project pending after a little progress in 2006.

The opposition leader again stood up and said the government was not only delaying the project but its design prepared by renowned architects and historians was being changed. He said a commercial strip was being carved out of the project site in the name of earning money for sustainability of the project.

Mr Rasheed also lamented that he had submitted an adjournment motion on the subject but it had yet not been taken up in the house. The speaker asked the assembly secretary to bring opposition leader’s adjournment motion in the house next week.

It merits mentioning that in response to a Punjab government letter, army has written a rejoinder to the Bab-i-Pakistan Foundation on June 21 this year, explaining about sub-contracts, liabilities and legal obligations of the project.

The army’s letter, waved by Mr Arshad in the assembly, states that the project was commenced on Nov 8, 2006 and only 28 per cent of work was completed till February 2012, when the chief minister terminated the project on charges of irregularities. The army has also explained the financial liabilities towards the Bab-i-Pakistan Foundation as well as the main contractors.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Arshad said the army had claimed that some Rs940.9 million had been spent on the project so far but the expenditure did not match the work done on the site.

“The Punjab government is requesting the army to explain expenditure and then hand over the project for execution by the government,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2016

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