LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday passed nine bills including a private one that allowed, for the first time anywhere in the world, regularisation of the Sikh community marriages, clearing the list of legislation by the government nearing completion of its tenure.

PML-N MPA Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora had moved The Punjab Anand Karaj Bill, 2017. It was unanimously passed in full view of Sikh leaders from Canada and England who had come to the Punjab Assembly to watch the historic moment.

Mr Arora in his vote of thanks said Pakistan (Punjab) was the only country in the world that had granted such rights to the Sikh community. There were Sikhs in India but it was denying them this right despite vigorous efforts, he said.

Session marks completion of legislation agenda

He said for the first time after the creation of Pakistan in 1947, something good had been done for the welfare of the Sikh community. Nearly 150 million Sikhs live in India but they were being denied their right of regulating their marriages as per their religion, he said, adding that the Indian government was imposing the Hindu Marriage Act on them.

Thanking the government and the Pakistani leadership for facilitating the passage of the bill, he said: “Pakistan does care for its minorities”. He prayed for the country’s prosperity and progress.

Speaker Rana Iqbal, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Minorities Minister Khalil Tahir Sandhu, Leader of the Opposition Mian Mehmoodur Rashid and others congratulated Mr Arora and welcomed his guests to the visitors’ gallery. The speaker invited them to his chamber for tea.

The law minister had not opposed the bill and had welcomed it instead. He also welcomed the guests on behalf of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and the assembly. Mr Sandhu said the government had made welfare laws for three minorities in Punjab – Christians, Hindus and Sikhs.

The other eight bills of the government were passed with majority votes of the treasury. Opposition pointed out short quorum thrice but the treasury managed to maintain it in the presence of Law Minister Rana Sanaullah.

The legislation being delayed during the current around one-and-a-half month session of the assembly due to various reasons, mainly short quorum and absence of the law minister, was completed swiftly in around one hour and 20 minutes. “We have finished our list of laws. If there is no immediate need of any new law in the remaining period of the assembly, consider it our last legislation day,” the law minister said.

Opposition wanted to block almost all bills by suggesting a non-hurting move -- their circulation for eliciting public opinion. But the law minister ducked all such efforts with ease. He even dexterously flattened a very vital objection to the Punjab Hepatitis Bill 2017 raised by PTI’s Dr Nosheen Hamid.

Dr Hamid had pointed out that the bill was silent on Hepatitis A and E, its one clause asks for Hepatitis C clearance certificates from those intending to join government service but such fake certificates are easily available, and there was a minor punishment for deliberately transferring Hepatitis C infection to someone. “Transferring the disease is like killing someone, and the punishment given in the bill will not create any deterrence,” she said.

The law minister picked the earlier remarks by the MPA who had said that the bill should have been introduced soon after the induction of the assembly. “I agree with Dr Sahiba, but inserting her amendments would further delay the law. Please introduce them through a private bill. We will allow its insertion in the main law,” he said.

Dr Hamid told this reporter outside the assembly that the promise seemed a ploy to avert her suggestions. “They will not allow it,” she apprehended.

The eight official laws passed with majority vote of the treasury and without any significant resistance by the opposition were The Bahawalpur Development Authority (Repeal) Bill, The Limitation (Punjab Amendment) Bill, The University of Narowal Bill, The University of Sialkot Bill, The Punjab Tianjin University of Technology Lahore Bill, The Punjab Hepatitis Bill, The Cholistan University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Bahawalpur Bill, and the Code of Civil Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill.

The session began an hour and forty minutes behind its scheduled time of 10am. The beginning was turbulent because of PTI MPA Mian Aslam Iqbal’s insistence on permission to lay a report of a special committee that had investigated the ECAT and MCAT (entrance tests) scam involving leakage of papers against billions of rupees. But calm prevailed as legislation started.

The treasury braved opposition’s three attempts at disrupting the proceedings by pointing out short quorum.

Among other issues, PTI’s Asif Mehmood said life threats were being given to him and his family for pointing out the land grab. “I am a common man, and they are powerful people. Please order meeting of the committee,” he requested the speaker.

There was rumpus as leader of the opposition stood to congratulate the new Senate chairman from Balochistan, asking the house to also do the same. It ended when the speaker allowed Mr Aslam Iqbal to present the report which he did promptly, requesting the chair to send its recommendations to the federal government for remedial measures against leakage of the entrance tests papers, preventing children and their parents form the exploitation of the money-making gang.

The question hour started but again faced protests by the opposition as PTI’s Shunila Ruth pointed out absence of the home secretary. She reminded the speaker of his ruling that question hour could not be taken up in the absence of the secretary of the department concerned.

Minister Khalil Sandhu tried his best to convince her that the department was being represented by its special secretary, but in vain. The speaker at last kept pending Ms Ruth’s question on her request.

Meanwhile, the house unanimously passed a resolution by PML-N’s Sheikh Ejaz Ahmad seeking a ban on dance nights (parties) in educational institutions in the province, terming it a negation of the local culture and ideology of Pakistan.Another resolution by Dr Nosheen Hamid was also unanimously adopted, seeking effective legislation for preventing torture of students, especially the mentally challenged, in all educations institutions in the province.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2018