LAHORE, June 7: Two PPP MPAs, nominated as party’s spokespersons for various departments, criticized the government for its alleged failure to do what the Social Welfare, Women Development, Baitul Maal and Population Welfare had promised to do during the current fiscal. This was the first news conference Azma Bukhari and Noorunnisa Malik addressed after being assigned new responsibilities. Spokespersons for other departments will follow suit in the days ahead and give similar news conferences.

Azma and Noorunnisa did not say what the government should do next year, plans for which would be announced by the finance minister in his budget speech on Thursday.

Azma said in the budget for the outgoing year, the Punjab government had promised a stadium for women but, she regretted, the plan was confined to papers. Also, she said, no step had been taken by the government for the economic independence of women as a result of which they were having to depend upon men.

She said there was a need to promote the cottage industry where the women could get jobs.

In her opinion the establishment of institutions like Darul Amaan or Panah would be of little help to women.

Noorun Nisa said population explosion was the major problem facing the country, but the government was not paying adequate attention to it.

She said it was ridiculous that the chief minister had given his vision for 2020, but his government was not telling what it had done during the past couple of years.