LAHORE: In a unanimous resolution, the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday asked the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) and the federal government to develop a service structure for the employees of the electronic media houses.

The resolution moved by Rana Sanaullah Khan, the minister for law and parliamentary affairs, was “whole heatedly” supported by the opposition as well.

Opposition leader in the house, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid said that opposition stood by the Punjab government on the issue.

The resolution says: “This House demands the Pemra and the federal government to develop a service structure for the employees of the electronic media on the same lines as it did for the print media through the Newspapers Employees Act. The new act should include salaries, working hours and medical allowance etc for the (electronic media) employees. This House is also concerned about firing of over 50 employees by different media houses and thinks that delay (in) and non-payment of salaries was tantamount to insulting a noble profession and cruelty with the families of the journalists. Such actions would neither help develop (the) profession nor a society based on justice. This House demands immediate reinstatement of journalists and payment of their dues.”

Dr Waseem Akhter of the opposition, however, was of the opinion that the House was powerful enough to take decisions rather than passing “toothless resolutions.”

“Move ahead and decide, don’t simply pass resolutions,” he advised the Treasury.

With the leader of opposition supporting the resolution, the House quickly, and unanimously, passed the resolution.

The issue of agriculture income tax also came to the House because of the adjournment motion moved by Dr Waseem Akhter of the opposition, who wanted the Punjab government to increase tax slab from current Rs80,000 to Rs400,000 – as had been the case with traders.

He, however, was caught on the wrong foot by Rana Sanaullah who stood up to remind him that no such tax slab existed in the province. It was abolished long ago and the matter had now been referred to the Kissan Commission, which was deliberating upon the matter, he said, pointing out that the motion practically stood infructuous.

Mr Akhtar, however, insisted: “I challenge the law minister on the issue and can produce evidence of tax being collected.” Undeterred, the law minister maintained that the member from south Punjab was not fully prepared on the issue. “I was heading the committee which directed the Board of Revenue (BoR) to stop collecting the tax and matter was referred to the Kissan Commission.

“The farmers are not happy even with increase of (tax) slab from Rs80,000 to Rs400,000. They don’t want to get involved with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) type of income tax returns because of complexity of filing them. They want simple and fixed tax, where they don’t have to get involved in procedural formalities. The chief minister has already agreed to accept recommendations of the commission. So, there is no need for the motion,” Rana Sanaullah said.

At this, Mr Akhtar staged a token walkout and returned to the House on the assurance that he would be inducted into the committee trashing out the issue.

The House met for a little over two hours, with a thin attendance, never going beyond two-thirds of the mandatory requirement of 93 members. When the House was finally adjourned for Wednesday morning, it had only 30 members – less than one-third of the quorum requirement.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2017