Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervez Elahi ordered to constitute a committee to review the rules of procedure of standing committees of the House to make them more powerful. After reviewing the rules of procedure of standing committees, this committee will prepare recommendations for the standing committees of the Punjab Assembly, the Speaker vowed.
The matter of standing committees came under discussion, when PMLN’s lawmaker Malik Ahmed Khan raised objection over non-functional standing committees. Speaking on a point of order, MPA Malik Ahmed said some times the elections of chairmanship of such committee are conducted but no meeting is called during its tenure. As a result of which the lawmakers showed their lack of interest. He requested the House to make these committees viable and empowered. To which Speaker Elahi asked the provincial law minister Raja Basharat that this matter is very important that requires to be resolved within no time. It will attract the lawmakers when the standing committees will be empowered. Raja Basharat ensured the Speaker that government will play its democratic role on what decision is made out.
Following tradition, the House proceedings started with laps of one hour and 40 minutes under chair of Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi. The lawmakers, during question-hour, put questions over Housing and Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department. The concerned parliamentary secretary Malik Taimoor Masood replied the queries. Responding to a question by the PMLN’s Arshad Malik, Speaker Elahi came down hard on PMLN’s previous regime. He said PMLN preferred taking pictures in rain water rather than focusing on the flawed sewerage system. Things could be made perfect with sincere efforts but it was not the choice of the PMLN’s leadership, Speaker said.
Moreover, the government passed with majority The Punjab Infectious Disease (Prevention and Control) Bill 2020, The Code of Civil Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2020, The Punjab Prevention of Hoarding Bill 2020, The Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Education) (Amendment) Bill 2020. Three Ordinances “The Ravi Urban Development Authority Ordinance 2020, The Punjab Undesirable Cooperative Societies (Dissolution) (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 and The Co-operative societies (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 were introduced. After completion of agenda items, Speaker adjourned the House for July 16 (today) at 2pm.
Meanwhile, Provincial Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Social Welfare Raja Basharat, while discussing the session of the Punjab Assembly said that it would be a full-fledged session on legislation in which the Ravi Development Authority Ordinance, Punjab’s Undesired Cooperatives Societies Bill and Punjab Cooperatives Amendment Bill will be introduced. He said that as per the instructions of Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, the implementation of Corona SOPs would be ensured during the session. He said that some other important bills would also be requested to be passed by the Assembly while some general resolutions and some privileges motions were also part of the agenda. Raja Basharat said that Private Members’ Day would also be fixed during this season which could not be held in the budget session. He hoped that the opposition would deviate from the previous tradition and take full part in the legislative process in the larger public interest. He said that the members of the opposition should put the public interest before their personal and the interests of the leaders and truly respect the vote as the people have elected them for very this purpose and sent them to the House.
