Punjab Assembly passes Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill

Punjab Assembly that commenced its 22nd session Friday passed Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2005. The opposition raised issue of quorum and made a partial boycott of the assembly proceedings on the occasion.
During the boycott few opposition legislators namely Syed Ehsanullah Waqas, Rana Sana Ullah, Arshad Baggo, Sami Ullah Khan remained in the assembly.
Punjab Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja on the point of order of MPA Arshad Baggo said that Punjab Government would soon notify names of members of provincial assembly as 'Justice of Peace'.
This would empower them to attest and approve documents regarding minor issues of varying nature. The Minister said a notification in this regard would be issued soon.
Punjab Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja responding to a question regarding vehicles lifting and their transportation to NWFP said that lack of co-operation from NWFP police with Punjab and other provinces was hindering efforts to recover stolen vehicles. He said better inter provincial co-ordination was necessary to curb crimes taking place in the country.
The minister apprised the House that 607 cars, 1339 motorcycles were stolen or snatched from the province during year 2002. He said 197 such cars and 337 motorcycles had been recovered in the province and added that checkpoints at exit points in the city had been established.
Punjab Minister for Prisons Saeed Akhtar Nawani on a proposal by MPA Rai Ijaz to provide telephones to prisoners in the jail said that government would consider this proposal. Rai said Rs 100 were illegally charged in jails for letting the prisoner make a single call in the prisons and provision of telephone facility in this context would curb this corruption.
Speaking about current capacity of 17,000 prisoners in the province, he said there were three times more prisoners in jails of the province. He said capacity of jails was being extended and two new jails were being constructed in the province. He told the House that improvement had taken place in health, diet and security of prisoners.
MPA Arshad Baggo made a proposal that prisons should be established near courts for security purposes. The House was adjourned for Monday by the chair.