LAHORE: Surviving three short quorum calls by the opposition, the treasury benches had three bills passed during the Punjab Assembly session on Wednesday besides having a resolution approved that ratified deployment of the Special Security Division (SSD) for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in Punjab.

The bills and the resolution were moved by Minorities Minister Khalil Tahir Sandhu in the absence of Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, who was actually responsible for leading the legislation.

Through the resolution adopted by the House, the assembly ratified the deployment of SSD, raised by the federal government comprising military and civil personnel, for CPEC projects across Punjab under Article 147 read with Article 245 of the Constitution.

Graveyard, women protection body, boilers and pressure vessels bills passed

The assembly also passed The Punjab Shehr-i-Khamoshan Authority Bill, The Punjab Women Protection Authority Bill and The Punjab Boilers and Pressure Vessels (Amendment) Bill after the treasury members bulldozed some amendments proposed by the tiny opposition.

Later, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) Dr Nausheen Hamid, Saadia Sohail Rana and Raheela Anwar withdrew the remaining amendments of the opposition, allowing for the passage of the three bills.

Defending amendments to the Shehr-i-Khamoshan bill, the abovementioned MPAs and their fellows in the opposition, Dr Wasim Akhtar and Arif Abbasi, said it would commercialise burials, rendering the poor unable to bury their dead.

They said there was no need to establish the authority as looking after and creating of graveyards was the basic duty of local councils which, would be allowed to perform it. “Let the local councils look after the dead if you have not given them any power to cater to the living,” said Dr Akhtar.

The minister while opposing the amendments claimed that everything sought had already been provided in the bill. The authority would function in consultation with the local government department and the local councils, with ample representation of women and minorities, he added.

He also laid four recently promulgated bills and had resolutions passed for their extension for a further 90 days from Aug 3. The bills included The Rawalpindi Medical University Ordinance, The Faisalabad Medical University Ordinance, The Nishtar Medical University Ordinance and The Police Order (Amendment) Ordinance.

Jamaat-i-Islami’s Dr Akhtar walked out while protesting that a medical college in his hometown Bahawalapur had been established much earlier than the one in Rawalpindi but not turned into a university despite repeated demands. Other opposition members followed him only to return after a while.

Earlier, when MPA Raheela pointed out quorum after beginning of the session, Speaker Rana Iqbal ordered tolling of the bells for five minutes and later for 15 minutes.

Leaders scrambled to find the missing members and the required strength was ensured after nearly an hour, saving the government from embarrassment. Quorum was pointed out when the question hour had barely started and was not taken up again. Nevertheless, half of it was saved for next week due to non-availability of the minister concerned.

PTI’s Asif Mehmood pointed out quorum for the second time at 1:45pm during the second reading of the Shehr-i-Khamoshan bill when he found the treasury members had slipped out. The quorum was completed in five minutes.

PTI’s Shunila Ruth pointed out quorum for the third time during the second reading of The Punjab Women Protection Authority Bill. The proceedings were adjourned for five minutes and then for 15 minutes after it was found out that the missing members were having lunch.

The rest of the proceedings went on smoothly. Realising it was a long day, Deputy Speaker Sher Ali Gorchani and others agreed to postpone the general discussion on food and agriculture till today (Thursday).

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2017