HARIPUR: Federal Minister for Housing and Works Tariq Bashir Cheema has said that the government and opposition should join hands for constitutional amendments as two-thirds majority was imperative for this purpose.

He said this while talking to mediapersons in Ghazi here on Thursday. He earlier inaugurated work on the 5km Darra Mohat link road in Kundi union council which was scheduled to be completed by May this year.

The minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to put an end to the culture of purchasing votes for the Senate.

However, he said that open ballot system would be possible only when all political parties lent support to the bill and pass it with two-thirds majority.

Answering a question, he said Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) was one of the allies of PTI government and fully supported it. About Pakistan Democratic Movement’s anti-government campaign, Mr Cheema said that being part of the government they would devise a strategy in accordance with the situation.

About price hike in the country, he said the government was fully aware of the situation and making all -out efforts to control prices of essential commodities.

TWO INJURED: Two workers of an eatery received burn injuries when it caught fire here on Thursday.

Police and rescue sources said two workers of the eatery on GT Road were busy frying fish when fire broke out there.

The blaze damaged the eatery and the employees identified as Jalal Khan and Zakir also suffered burns.

They were taken to the trauma centre from where they were referred to Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2021