LAHORE: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf continued its protest during the assembly proceedings on Tuesday as well.

Holding placards in their hands, they vociferously chanted slogans for the release of PTI founder Imran Khan and others, ignoring directions by the chair, being held by Deputy Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channar, to be seated and allow peaceful proceedings of the house.

Talking to the media outside the assembly building, opposition leader Ahmed Khan Bhachar claimed that all 12 bills passed in the house on Monday were illegal as the chair bulldozed all rules and regulations regarding lack of quorum, which had been duly pointed out when the legislative work had been taken up.

Referring to a report submitted by the Punjab inspector-general of police to the Lahore High Court, he said it pointed out a disturbing law and order situation in the province as it revealed that one woman was being abused every 15 minutes in Punjab.

Bhachar terms Monday’s legislation illegal as chair ‘bulldozed’ rules

He asked the chief minister of her response to the report as she had declared safety of women as her red line.

Responding to a query about a federal minister’s statement that no judicial commission would be set up to probe the May 9 and Nov 26 incidents, Mr Bhachar said that the PTI would not compromise on the respect and freedom of its incarcerated leadership as the party was neither seeking any deal nor any concession.

He said PTI chairman Barrister Gohar’s meeting with the army chief has upset the government as success of talks [between the establishment and PTI] will prove to be political death of the incumbent rulers.

Earlier, the house was told by Social Welfare Minister Suhail Shaukat Butt that distressed women could not live in Darul Aman but in Darul Falah along with their children, while 13,000 women come to the institution in a year.

After the 18th Amendment, Benazir Crisis Centres have been handed over to the Social Welfare Department and of them, the Wahdat Road, Lahore, centre is being developed as a model centre, where the best facilities will be provided to all women under one umbrella.

He claimed that officers of his department did not sit in their offices rather undertook field work during the last 10 months to verify deserving families across the province and of them 45,000 have been issued Himmat Cards.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2024