‘Hamza Shehbaz jailed on court orders’: Raja Basharat
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ISLAMABAD-Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat has said that the Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz Sharif was behind the bars on court orders and the government had nothing to do with his arrest.
Speaking on a point of order during the Punjab Assembly session here on Tuesday, he said before staging walk-outs the PML-N leadership must keep the fact in mind that Hamza Shehbaz was not sent to jail on executive orders, adding that the government did not arrest Hamza Shehbaz but the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was investigating those who committed corruption. PML-N jailed leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif was attending the assembly session on the production order by the Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
Earlier, Punjab assembly session started one hour 36 minutes behind its scheduled time of 2 p.m. with Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in the chair. The chair admonished the members for not wearing masks and violating SOPs during the PA session which was to take up the agenda of question and answers relating to the Food Department.
Speaker Punjab Assembly Pervaiz Elahi observed that the Punjab government had nothing to do with the arrest of PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif.
Before PML-N MPAs staged a symbolic walk-out against the arrest of Opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif by NAB, Opposition MPA Rana Mashood Ahmed said PML-N Leader Hamza Shehbaz was imprisoned without any proof of corruption against him, adding that Hamza Shehbaz would complete one year in prison on June 12 and his political struggle will be written in golden words.
Rana Mashood said Hamza was incarcerated for a year but no reference could not filed against him. He said Hamza Shehbaz was being victimized by the government.
The chair expressed his serious reservations on the absence of Provincial Food Minister Abdul Aleem Khan on a day fixed for question and answers relating to Food Department, adding that the Minister should make himself available. The matter of Minister Aleem Khan’s absence was highlighted more conspicuously after Parliamentary Secretary for Food Rai Zahoor Ahmed failed to give satisfactory answers to the questions by the members. The chair put off all remaining questions and asked to come with full preparation on the next day.
The house unanimously passed the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (Amendment) Bill moved by MPA Khadija Umer of PML-Q. The bill once made the law would require PCTB to get a nod the from the Muttahida Ulema Board before sending books with Islamic content related to the books of Islamiat, Pakistan Studies, Urdu Literature and History for printing.
Speaker Elahi said the bill was aimed at protecting Finality of Prophethood and Namoos-e-Risalat Muhammad (S.A.A.W.). Although a private member bill, the whole House passed it unanimously while lauding the role played by Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.
Pervaiz Elahi said the bill will close the doors to the evil-doers and nobody will be able to publish any sacrilegious matter against the holy and dignified personalities of our religion.
Punjab School Education Minister Dr Murad Raas clarified that PCTB had got cases instituted against the publishers for publishing sacrilegious matter in the books on two previous occasions, adding that the publishers were banned for life by the government.
Murad Raas informed the house that three committees looked into the publication of books at the board and Control Room was also set-up to attend to the complaints by the public.
He said the complaints, in the past, were related to the reference books and not textbooks, adding that the reference books fall under the purview of the Home Department.
The house also offered Fateha for the for the deceased mothers of Provincial Minister Raja Rashid Hafeez and MPA Chaudhry Bilawal Asghar.
The house adopted eight resolutions including a resolution by treasury benches MPA hailing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government for starting Diamir Bhasha Dam. The resolution said the construction of Diamir Bhasha Dam would generate 4500 MW electricity and irrigate 1.2 million acre land.
The house adopted another resolution by PTI MPA Shaheen Karim in connection with the International Mother’s Day.
The resolution said: "The house pays homage to mother across Pakistan and all over the world for making a good nation.
It also endorsed protecting mothers’ rights in society."
The house also passed a resolution paying rich tribute to late journalist Prof Waris Mir for his services to democracy and rule of law in the country. The resolution was moved by PML-N MPA Khalil Tahir Sindhu read: “Prof Waris Mir started his career in journalism in 1958. He was a leading journalist, intellectual and great teacher of his time who always struggled for the sake of democracy,” said the resolution. The resolution urged to rename one of the Punjab University New Campus Underpass after Waris Mir.
On completion of day’s agenda, the chair adjourned the session till June 12 (Friday) at 2 p.m.
