MULTAN - Punjab Minister for Auqaf Haji Ehsan Uddin Qureshi has said that the motive behind 'launching' Sheikhul Islam is to create anarchy and get the general elections postponed for a longer period.
Addressing a public meeting here on Saturday, he added that the opponents of the PML-N lost their wits and started using non-parliamentary tactics after sensing its popularity in the recent by-elections.
He said that after observing PML-N's success in by elections, the federal government withdrew the nomination papers of its candidate for a senate seat which got vacated because of death of a PPP senator to prevent shame. He claimed that the PML-N would achieve two-thirds majority in general elections.
Speaking on the occasion, MNA Sheikh Tariq Rasheed said that the days of Zardari and Fraud Company had been numbered and the PML-N would return to power with thumping majority. In-charge provincial minister camp office Munawar Ehsan Qureshi said that president Zardari befooled the residents of South Punjab in the name of Seraiki Province.
CONSULTATION MEETING: Participants of a Consultation Meeting demanded the government on Saturday to restore the Slab system of Social Security Cards as described in Industrial Policy 2003 with a view to issuing these cards to the bonded labourers at brick kilns. The meeting was organized by the Society for Protection of Rights of Children (SPARC) with the support of Actionaid and European Union. The consultation called for the implementation of employees Social Security Ordinance 1965 at the brick kiln industry. Speaking on this occasion, Mahar Abdul Haq, President of All Pakistan Bhatta Malkan Association, said that over 8000 brick kilns existed in Pakistan while almost 700000 bonded labourers worked in this sector in Punjab.
The Employees Social Security Institution should make the infrastructure at the brick kilns so that the facilities of ESSI may reach to brick kiln labourers. He also demanded to implement of suggestions of committee constituted on Social Security Cards at Brick kiln held on April 6, 2012 as to restore slab system for social security cards.
Mr Kashif Bajeer said that Only 2.1 million workers out of 45 million Pakistanis in the labour force possessed social security cards, showing less than 4 per cent of the total labour force. He added that the total social security expenditure in Pakistan stood at just 1.1 of GDP whereas in India it stood at 2.6 and 6.4 is in Asia.
Rahsid Rehman said that bonded labourers of brick kiln industry were sold from one owner to another. "If they are bought at Rs10,0000, then they will be soled to next owner at Rs150,000," he pointed out. Hyacinth Peter also spoke on this occasion.