LAHORE – The Punjab Assembly on Thursday passed 14 bills which were earlier returned by Governor Khosa, rejecting all the objections raised by the Opposition. It also laid a new bill — for Parks and Horticulture Authority — and Speaker Rana Iqbal send it to the concerned Standing Committee of the House.
In total, 28 bills were returned by the Governor, of which 14 were passed the other day. The remaining 14 were passed by the House on Thursday.
The bills, which were passed by the PA included the Punjab Local Government (Second Amendment) Bill 2011, Ghazi University (Dera Ghazi Khan) Bill 2011, Punjab Public Service Commission (Amendment) Bill 2011, Hindu Disposition of Property (Amendment) Bill 2011, Hindu Law of Inheritance (Second Amendment) Bill 2011, Voluntary Social Welfare Agencies (Registration and Control) Bill 2011, Road Transport Workers (Amendment) Bill 2011, Punjab Industrial and Commercial Employment (Standing Orders) (Amendment) Bill 2011, Punjab Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill 2011, Punjab Workers Children (Education) (Amendment) Bill 2011, Punjab Bonded Labour System (Abolition) (Amendment) Bill 2011, Punjab Agricultural Pesticides (Amendment) Bill 2011, Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2011, and Punjab Conferment of Propriety Rights on Occupancy Tenants and Muqarraridars Bills 2011. The Opposition, however, criticised the Punjab Government for bulldozing the legal process for the passage of these bills.
Shaukat Mehmood Basra, deputy parliamentary leader of PPP criticizing the Punjab government for passing Punjab Local Government (second amendment) Bill 2011 said that rather than transferring powers to masses, the government running away from holding LG polls.
He added that all the legislation carried out by the Treasury was against the law and it would be challenged.
Amna Ulfat of PML-Q also raised objection over government’s way of passing the bills and said that the matter should be dealt as per law. Ehsan-ul-Haq Nolatia, a PPP member raising objections said that rather than passing it in hurry, the government should wait for the report of Implementation Commission working for effective implementation of the 18th Amendment.
Rana Sana Ullah, Punjab Law Minister defending the provincial government said that provinces had a long struggle in the abolishing of concurrent list and the entire process was carried out according to the law.