LAHORE: The Usman Buzdar-led Punjab government will follow the Centre in the procedure of appointing the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman and formation of the standing committees in the Punjab Assembly.

“If the federal government picks up the National Assembly PAC chairman from the opposition, we will do the same in Punjab Assembly (PA). Similarly, the procedure adopted by the Centre in the constitution of standing committees will also be followed here,” Punjab Law Minister Basharat Raja told Dawn after the opposition questioned in the PA’s Monday proceedings the government for “shying away” from the constitution of these bodies even after more than 100 days in power.

“We will coordinate with the opposition in PA once this matter (of PAC chairman and standing committees) is settled in the Centre. However, this will not hamper any legislation in the PA as two bills being tabled on coming Wednesday will be forwarded to the special committees,” Raja said.

PPP MPA Makhdoom Usman Mahmood questioned in the House the government’s seriousness in formation of the standing committees. “One wonders why the government is feeling threatened and intends to introduce ordinances (instead of going for legislation),” Mahmood asked and also drew the attention of the chair towards “non-seriousness attitude” of some of the ministers.

Govt warned against cut in health budget

PML-N’s Hina Pervaiz Butt and Dr Mazhar Iqbal also criticised the Punjab government for its failure to bring about any legislation during its first 100 days (in power).

In Monday’s PA proceedings a debate was held on health issues. Most opposition members warned the government against cutting health budget. “A huge cut in the health budget means (health) minister Dr Yasmin Rashid will not be able to achieve her targets in the sector,” said the PML-N legislator and former health minister Khalil Tahir Sandhu. Mr Sandhu said the opposition would support positive steps in the health sector and hoped such measures won’t turn out to be a ‘hen-and-egg’ solution at the end of the day.

Ms Butt drew the health minister’s attention towards pharmaceutical companies’ announcement regarding increase in the medicine’s prices up to 40 percent because of currency devaluation. She said the health policy should be aimed at providing relief to the poor.

Dr Mazhar Iqbal said the opposition should be consulted in formation of health policy. He said Dr Rashid might bring about a change in the health sector as doctors bodies were with her.

PTI’s Seemabia Tahir asked the government to ensure free hepatitis-C vaccine as most of the patients couldn’t afford it. Uzma Kardar of the PTI said had the Shahbaz government not spent Rs230bn on Orange Line train at least 55 state of the art hospitals would have been set up in Punjab. PML-N’s Waris Kallu said the government had spent its ‘100-day honeymoon period’ and now it should get to business and deliver.

In the Question Hour, the PML-N’s Azma Bokhari expressed dissatisfaction at Dr Rashid’s reply regarding shortage of doctors in the public hospitals, especially in Sheikhupura. Dr Rashid said the vacant positions would be filled by the end of this month.

On call attention notices, Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi ordered summoning of Sialkot district police officer in the PA on Tuesday to explain investigation into the murder and dacoity cases.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2018