LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly’s session was prorogued for an indefinite period after it passed Rs146.93 billion supplementary budget here on Wednesday.

It voted out two cut motions of the opposition whose members were engaged with the treasury in a “sloganeering contest.”

Finance Minister Dr Ayesha-Ghaus Pasha while concluding discussion on the supplementary budget said the government overspent the budget only under unavoidable circumstances.

She argued that the practice existed all over the world because a government could not withhold its intervention or action for want of budget in certain circumstances which could not be ascertained or foreseen during the budget-making process.

She said fluctuations in world commodities market also affected local farmers forcing the government to announce a Kisan relief package. She said the federal government announced a Rs55bn subsidy package for the farming community and Punjab had to contribute 50 per cent of the subsidy.

She said had the government not acted in time and waited for budgetary approvals it would have failed to perform its duties pertaining to the rural population.

House rejects two cut motions; finance minister says foreign visits have resulted in investment

She said a sum of Rs8bn was also spent on court orders on payment of enhanced pensions. Likewise, supplementary grants were issued to various other departments including excise and industries, she said.

Referring to objections on ‘fabulous’ salary package for Sahiwal Coal Power Project executives, the minister said the project was being executed through Chinese investment and the provincial government could not intervene in its recruitment process.

Defending foreign visits of MPs and Punjab officers, she said these were aimed at increasing foreign investment and approaching the potential investors to present the improved image of the country.

She said the visits paid back and resulted in projects like China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. She said foreign investors felt insecure here in the past and the government had to change this image of the country.

She explained that the MPAs who joined these visits incurred the expenses on their own and the provincial kitty was used to pay for the expenses of the officers.

Referring to objections to government ads, she argued that the government had taken multiple steps for raising awareness among the masses and the objective was achieved through advertisements, including about dengue and Khidmat cards.

Later, the house rejected cut motions about funding for irrigation, and S&GAD departments with a majority vote.

PML-Q’s Sardar Waqas Hasan Moakkal called for construction of Kalabagh Dam fearing a water crisis in the next 10 years and offered his party’s unconditional support for the cause.

Speaker Rana Iqbal reminded the MPA that his party did not take up the issue while in power (2002-07).

During the discussion, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also appeared in the gallery reserved for guests. Speaker Rana Iqbal welcomed him on behalf of the house and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on behalf of the treasury.

Both the treasury and opposition benches also raised slogans against each other like ‘go Nawaz go’ and ‘ro Imran ro’ (weep Imran weep).

DEMOTIONS: Treasury MPA Sheikh Alauddin on a point of order raised the issue of thousands of police demotions under a Supreme Court verdict. He claimed the step had demoralised the police for these officers had been given out-of-turn promotions in recognitions of their services.

He demanded legislation to give legal cover to the promotions.

Rana Sana endorsed Alauddin’s views saying the apex court affected over 9,000 police officers. He said the court had originally been moved against some promotions in Sindh but other provinces were included later on.

The law minister informed the house that no law could be made against a SC verdict but a review petition could be filed to point out that 99 per cent of the beneficiaries of the shoulder promotion policy genuinely deserved it as they had even risked their lives in the line of duty.

The speaker then prorogued the house for an indefinite period.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2016