LAHORE: Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmoodur Rashid on Tuesday drew attention of the House towards the agitation by farmers at Thokar Niaz Beg while holding Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his family responsible for the tillers’ plight caused by, what he said, illegally relocating their three sugar mills to south Punjab.

Mr Rashid got infuriated when PML-N MPA Syed Sibtain Raza alleged that it was PTI leader Jehangir Tarin who was responsible for the sufferings of the sugarcane growers by obtaining a court stay order prohibiting three sugar mills to function during the current crushing season.

This he did even after Speaker Rana Iqbal disallowed him to intervene. Rana Iqbal said the opposition leader’s remarks would be answered by the law minister.

Another PML-N MPA also urged the government to negotiate with the agitating sugarcane growers who would be destroyed if the three sugar mills (of the Sharif family) were not allowed to start crushing their produce. “They will be destroyed if their crop is not used,” he said.

Mian Mehmoodur Rashid had urged the food minister to meet the farmers agitating at Thokar Niaz Beg, creating worst traffic jams in southern Lahore. The government must resolve their problems instead of breaking the rally with false promises, he said.

When PML-N MPA Sibtain Raza said the farmers were facing problems because of the closure of three sugar mills, Mr Rashid asked whose these mills were. These mills were illegally relocated to south Punjab and courts had ordered their shifting to their original location.

He said the mills were relocated illegally by the chief minister and his family, forcing thousands of farmers to face the consequence. He asked who had permitted the relocation of the mills.

Jamaat-i-Islami’s Dr Wasim Akhtar said the issue was serious. Hundreds of thousands of farmers had grown sugarcane which would go waste (because of the closure of the mills). “Please refer the matter to the Standing Committee on Agriculture,” he requested the speaker who instead asked him to wait for the law minister for a reply. The law minister later appeared in the House but there was no mention of the issue.

Earlier, PTI’s Asif Mehmood refused to budge when he felt that the speaker was not entertaining his complaint about a PML-N member who had lost election against him but was having affixed his name on plaques of development schemes as MPA. “I am the MPA. He was rejected by the people but he is claiming to be an MPA,” he said when the speaker explained that he would allow the PTI MPA to read a related motion only after it was enlisted.

Mr Mehmood got annoyed when the speaker said that the word “former” might have been removed from the plaque seen by the PTI MPA. He did not sit down even when repeatedly asked by the speaker, also insisting on having an FIR against the defeated candidate.

He asked the speaker to ensure the respect of the opposition otherwise the ruling party members would not be respected when on opposition benches. “I am seeing you occupying our seats soon,” he said.

Mian Mehmoodur Rashid made his colleague sit and explained that he was hurt by the defeated PML-N candidate who had breached Mr Asif’s privilege. Consequently, the speaker agreed to investigate the matter and satisfy the PTI MPA.

Resolutions: Earlier, the House adopted three resolutions. The resolution by Mian Tariq Mehmood sought upgrade of Bs-16 and 17 government employees.

Dr Wasim Akhtar’s resolution urged continuation of the subsidy on fertilizers and Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal’s resolution requested the federal government to fix targets for commercial attaches in Pakistani embassies abroad for the export of Pakistani agriculture produce especially rice and potato, and link these targets to their promotions or perks.

Privilege Motion: Amidst slogans by the members from both sides, the speaker referred to a committee a privilege motion moved by PML-N’s Abu Hifs Muhammad Ghyasuddin from Shakargarh who narrated how police on the orders of THQ Medical Superintendent Dr Tariq arrested his sons, entered his house without a warrant, and misbehaved and manhandled his womenfolk on Monday.

The session started one hour behind its schedule with a few members in the House. No one from the opposition pointed out short quorum.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2017