LAHORE – The Punjab Assembly witnessed another heated debate between Opposition and Treasury on Tuesday when the former raised the issue of their resolution, submitted earlier for the creation of South Punjab province, not being taken up for a House deliberation. Opposition member Nazim Hussain Shah, taking the floor on a Point of Order, said that despite support from Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his senior advisor Zulfiqar Khosa on the formation of a separate province in South Punjab, the Opposition’s resolution had not been taken up in the House so far.
Rana Sana Ullah, Punjab Law Minister, replying to Nazim said that the Assembly rulers were subservient to the Constitution and sub-clause (4) of Article 239 of the Constitution stated that a bill should first be presented in the National Assembly for changing the old boundaries of provinces. He advised the PPP to take up the issue in the Upper House (of Parliament) if they were serious to pursue the matter. Nazim telling the difference to law minister between the purpose of bill and the resolution said that resolutions were meant to give recommendations on certain issues, while the opposition just desire to take up the issue through rules of assembly in a bid to give its recommendation to the National Assembly on the issue. He asked the Speaker that it was necessary to include the resolution in the balloting to make it part of the agenda, however it would be the prerogative of the house to take up the resolution for debate once it was made part of the agenda.
Speaker Punjab assembly while intervening between two benches said in his ruling, assembly rules were subservient to the Constitution of Pakistan, while he would give his judgment concerning the issue of including the resolution pertaining to separate province in South Punjab in the balloting. Another issue, which captivated the house during the point of order debate, was allegations and counter allegations between the opposition and the treasury regarding acting upon the Charter of Democracy. Taking up the subject on a point of order, Pervaiz Rafique, a minority member belonging to the PPP while paying tributes to slain PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto on her fourth death anniversary for giving the political forces CoD, also praised the role of PML-N chief for backing the ‘Rani of Sindh’. He said that the shaheed party chairperson has made numerous efforts to block the dictatorships and promoting democracy and she was martyred while pursuing these goals.
Ehsan-ul-Haq Nolathia, another PPP member on this point said that PML-N should have not sought the help of the Supreme Court on Memogate issue bypassing the parliament if it really believes in the spirit of CoD. Rana Sana Ullah taking part in the debate on the issue said that people should not only appreciate the CoD but they should act upon it. Later the House offered Fateh for Benazir Bhutto on her fourth death anniversary.