LAHORE: Punjab Assembly on Thursday vehemently condemned gross human rights violations in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK) and asked for their immediate halt and settling the issue according to aspirations of Kashmiris.
During debate on Kashmir, lawmakers Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, Dr Farzana Raja, Sibtain Khan and others said Kashmiris’ struggle had reached its climax and the day was not far away when Kashmiris would get freedom from Indian yoke. They eulogised Pakistan government for its efforts to take up the Kashmir issue on international fora. They slammed utterances of India premier and said he should refrain from leveling baseless allegations against Pakistan.
Earlier, the sitting, ninth of the 23rd session was commenced one hour and seven minutes behind its scheduled time with Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal in the chair. In the question-hour session, Punajab Minister Begum Zakia Shahnawaz, responding to queries by lawmakers, said the incumbent government was attaching high significance to education at higher level.
Various measures, she said, were adopted to promote education with an hefty budgetary allocation. She said special steps had also been taken for ensuring high literacy rate by 2020. She told the House that the governnent had neither abolished programme for B/A, BSc graduates in colleges nor initiated four years BEd Hounor programme.
To a question by Maulana Manzoor Chinioti, Begum Zakia said a total of eight colleges were in Chiniot out of which four for boys and four for girl students. While 84 vacancies for clerical staff and grade-IV were available and soon recruitment against these vacancies would be filled through proper procedure.
Parliamentary Secretary for Excise and Taxation, Mian Munir answering a question by Jamaat-e-Islami Parliamentary leader Dr Wasim Akhtar said liquor worth Rs 64.5 million was sold out in two big hotels of the town and the department received Rs 38.4 million as excise duty. To another question, he said in Toba Tek Singh 18 registered marriage halls were existed and professional tax was being received from them at uniform rate.
The House did not take up the Punjab Poultry Production Bill 2016 and the Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (Amend) Bill 2016. The House deferred seven Adjournment Motions on various matters of public importance while a privilege motion was also deferred. The motions were belonged to Sheikh Alauddin, SaadiaSohailRana and Nabeela Hakim Ali etc.
On completion of day’s agenda the Chair adjourned the session till next Friday at 9 am.
