LAHORE - The Punjab Assembly yesterday passed six bills including the Punjab Marriage Functions Bill 2015 with majority, rejecting all cut motions moved by the opposition.
The House passed the Punjab Forest (Amendment) Bill 2016; the Punjab Flood Plain Regulation Bill 2015; the Punjab Vigilance Committees Bill 2016; the Punjab Economic Research Institute (Amendment) Bill 2016; and the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (Amendment) Bill 2015.
During government business, the PTI lawmaker pointed out the quorum following which the Chair ordered the bells to be rung for five minutes. The sitting resumed after completion of quorum.
Law Minister Rana Sanaullah introduced the Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority Bill 2016 which was referred to the relevant standing committee for report.
The Marriage Functions Act restricts serving only one dish in wedding functions and other related ceremonies. The law binds concluding all wedding functions before 10 pm at night including those arranged at houses, bans illumination, lighting and decorations on streets, parks and adjoining areas of the house, hotel or wedding hall, use of fire cracker, explosive or firearms, or display of firearms.
The law also restricts display of dowry before public.
Violators of these restrictions could be punished with one month sentence along with fine ranging from Rs50,000 to Rs2 million, trial by a first class magistrate. The government will constitute one or more committees for the enforcement of the Act with the help of police personnel.
Earlier, the proceeding started one hour and 12 minutes beyond the scheduled time with Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal in the chair and 20 legislators from both sides of the political divide in attendance.
During Question Hour on Services and General Administration, ill prepared Parliamentary Secretary Ali Asghar Manda failed to satisfy legislators even those from the treasury side.
Out of 16 starred questions, nine were disposed off due to absence of movers from the House, six were referred to the relevant committee for wrong answers while one was pended for not receiving reply from the department.
Not only the legislators but also parliamentary secretaries stayed away from the proceedings. As many as eight parliamentary secretaries were not at the floor of the House to give replies of adjournment motions.
The chair expunged remarks of opposition legislator Mian Tahir regarding putting parliamentary secretaries behind the bars for not attending the session.
On completion of agenda, the session was adjourned till Friday (today) at 10am.