LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly (PA) unanimously adopted the Punjab PublicRepresentatives Laws (Amendment) Bill 2009 to pave way for increase inmonthly salaries and perks of the legislators including the chief ministerand speaker.
The bill was tabled by PML-N legislator Agha Ali Haider with Speaker PAChaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in the chair during the PA session which started twohours 10 minutes behind its scheduled time of 11 am.
Earlier, the chair allowed a resolution in relaxation of rules during theGovernment Business Hour and the Punjab Public Representatives Laws(Amendment) Bill 2009 was tabled by the opposition MPA Agha Ali Haider.
Another bill named as Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and ResearchCentre Bill 2019 was also passed by the House with a majority, rejectingall amendments proposed by the Opposition legislators. The bill waspresented by the Punjab Law Minister Raja Muhammad Basharat.
The House also passed The Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute and ResearchCentre Bill 2019 with majority. Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid andLaw Minister Raja Basharat opposed the amendment of giving PKLI&RC statusof a trust, saying the Punjab government would meet the expenditure of theinstitute and said it could not be given status of a trust.
The House also voted all other amendments proposed by the Oppositionincluding the one giving Prof Saeed Akhtar a role in the Board ofGovernors. The minister said his (Prof Saeed) services could be utilizedsomewhere else.
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Minister for Population Welfare Hashim Dogar, responding to a question byPML-N’s Iftikhar Hussain, said public awareness about family planning was acontinuous process.
He said counseling services and quality family planning were being providedat centres, adding the centres also provided consultation on issuesrelating to reproductive health, infertility and sexually transmitteddiseases.
Speaker Ch Pervaiz Elahi adjourned the house for tomorrow (Thursday) at11:00 am.