LAHORE – The Punjab Assembly was told on Wednesday that India had refused to buy Pakistani potatoes while Indian vegetable like tomatoes, bananas kept pouring into the country, damaging national economy seriously.
Sheikh Allaudddin, through a motion, told the House that the farmers in the country had been left in the lurch because the government had ‘blindly’ buying vegetables and fruits from India without setting any condition and negotiating export of Pakistani vegetables.
He said Indian traders refused to buy Pakistani potatoes though they were facing acute dearth of this vegetable and the country had 1.5 million tonne surplus. He said it is a soul searching time for those Pakistani traders who are purchasing tomatoes and bananas from India and are minting money.
He said these items were sold respectively at Rs410 per kg and Rs450 per dozen around the last Eid and the fact needs to be fathomed who actually pocketed the money of such huge profit. Sheikh urged the Chair, Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, to form a committee of the House to probe the matter. The motion was put on pending on the request of Parliamentary Secretary Tahir Khalil Sidhu.
The secretary pended another motion from Khadija Umar which emanated from a Nawa-i-Waqt report on the illegal constructions in the Food Street, Shahi Mohalla, in connivance with the district administration and the influential politicians.
On a point of order, Sheikh Allauddin brought into the notice of the House a very serious issue of illegal activity of the African nationals.
He said thousands of such Africans, mainly from Nigeria and Uganda, are staying in the city, particularly Madina Colony, Gulberg, and Township and are involved in drug peddling, snatching, withdrawing remittances from banks and other heinous crime.
He said the police were also acting in league with them and this all was putting a very bad impact on our society besides aggravating law and order situation and encouraging crime in the city. He said there were a number of them who did not come to Pakistan on valid visa.
Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said corruption and bad federal governance were prime factors in this regard which provided room for such elements to get visa without going through a proper scrutiny.
However, the mover was asked to present FIRs and proof to substantiate his charges to the CCPO and the DIG and they would take action.
Earlier, the speaker chided Ahsanul Haq when he called the chief minister ‘Lahore Mayor’ over the issue of Lahore’s development. The Chair asked the member to review his conduct and language otherwise he would be very strict on him. The Treasury members also disliked the language of the members and hooted the Opposition Benches.
Replying to questions on the department of SG&A, the law minister told the house that a bulletproof car was provided to PML-N Senator Kamran Michel after threats following the killing of Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, drawing grilling by other members. However, the minister said the issue of minorities was sensitive.
Haq raised another question on the chief minister announcement made in 2008 to transform 8-Club Road into a Women’s IT University. Sana told the court that the CM stood by his words.