LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday witnessed a heated debate regarding the chief minister’s proposed farmers package and wheat policy.

While government members lauded Maryam Nawaz for the initiative, the opposition dismissed the package as a mere “lollipop.”

Six bills also were introduced during the session.

A tragic incident in Hafizabad, where three children died after consuming toxic sweets, was brought to the assembly’s attention by MPA Falbous Christopher. He revealed that a sanitary worker, Irfan, was allegedly given the sweets by the municipality to feed stray dogs. When Irfan found no stray dogs, he took the sweets home, where children in the area consumed them. Sadly, three children lost their lives, while two are in critical condition and three others are stable. Police have apprehended Irfan, who the MPA believes is not at fault.

Opposition terms farmers relief a ‘lollipop’; six bills introduced during session

Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan directed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Shuja to conduct a thorough inquiry into the matter within one hour.

Continuing their usual practice, opposition members entered the House raising slogans and holding placards bearing pictures of the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and protest slogans.

During the proceedings, treasury member Amjad Ali Javed expressed concern over the ongoing protest by health department officers for the past eight days, urging the government to engage in dialogue with them.The Christian community, through Falbous, demanded a holiday in the Punjab Assembly on Good Friday and Easter. Minister Mujtaba Shuja said a decision could only be made after reviewing the gazetted holiday schedule.

Mr Javed also raised the issue of canal water distribution, suggesting that Punjab and Sindh should hold discussions to resolve any disputes.

In response, PPP MPA Nargis Faiz Awan questioned the criticism directed at her leadership, asking when Sindh had deprived Punjab of its rightful share and highlighted the sacrifices of PPP for Punjab.

The speaker clarified that Mr Javed had spoken about Punjab’s water system and that he would not allow criticism against any political party’s leadership, emphasising the need for inter-provincial dialogue on the canal issue.

Following the question hour, Parliamentary Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs Khalid Ranjha presented the amended Police Order 2025 ordinance, which was referred to the relevant standing committee. Other bills were also introduced, including amendments to the Provincial Motor Vehicles (amendment) Bill 2025 (presented multiple times with slight variations in title), the Drugs (amendment) Bill 2025, the Stamp (amendment) Bill 2025, and the Provincial Employees Social Security (amendment) Bill 2025. All these bills were presented by Parliamentary Secretary Khalid Ranjha and subsequently referred to the relevant standing committees.

During open debate on wheat policy, Minister Kirmani defended the Kissan Card, stating it supports small farmers, enabling them to purchase seeds worth Rs52 billion. He advocated for uniform rules and regulations regarding wheat across all provinces, stating that the government does not typically fix wheat prices under existing regulations.

MPA Malik Waheed lauded the CM’s significant relief measures for farmers, stating that the food department was burdened by debt and struggling financially.

Speaker Khan inquired if any changes were being made to the law regarding wheat storage for flour mills. He urged members to be mindful of their language, highlighting the annual deficit of Rs350 billion and the immense distress faced by farmers, who are looking towards the assembly.Opposition MPA Waqas Maan criticised the government for allegedly not procuring any wheat or setting its minimum support price. He argued that the free trade policy would not benefit farmers, and urged the government to announce a price, whether it be Rs3,500 or Rs2,200.

Treasury MPA Mehr Kashif defended the wheat policy, stating it was wrong to criticise it without proper understanding. He explained that small farmers often lack storage facilities and are forced to sell their produce to commission agents immediately, allowing middlemen to profit at the farmers’ expense.

Ahsan Raza Khan, another treasury MPA, expressed his disagreement with the government’s wheat policy. He questioned the distribution of the Kissan Card, noting that only 600,000 out of 1.4 million applicants received it.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2025