No cover for parental treatment: National Assembly criticises trimming of medical allowance

The National Assembly on Wednesday echoed with voices against trimming of parliamentarians' medical allowance with no cover for parental treatment, amid demands of ending the discrimination. Kashmala Tariq of PML-Q highlighted the issue, which was later on endorsed by almost every parliamentarian as they questioned perks and privileges being enjoyed by bureaucrats and army generals.
Earlier, she said, dependent parents were entitled to medical treatment but the facility has been withdrawn all of a sudden. The members should have been issued notices for the change, she added. In addition, she complained against the Islamabad Club for having a discriminatory policy against the lawmakers. 'A bureaucrat is given membership for merely Rs 25,000 whereas legislators are asked for one million for the same. Why is this discrimination?Endorsing the point, Khawaja Asif from the PML-N demanded of the government to declare, as it is done in case of legislators, the public money spent on a bureaucrat and army general as well. "Parliamentarians are the people who are always singled out while the rest are not discussed at all," he regretted.
He expressed solidarity with Shehnaz Sheikh, from PML-Q who had just learnt about the policy after her mother's treatment in Sheikh Zaid Hospital Lahore. Khawaja Asif also pointed finger at media while giving reference to 300 journalists who were carried by special flight to perform Haj this year, and said it should not downplay the others and pinpoint lawmakers alone.
Ms Qudisa Arshad went on to demand 'plots' for the elected representatives of the people saying everyone else including judges, bureaucrats and generals were given allotment except them. Meanwhile, the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority Bill, 2010 was passed by the Assembly.
Advisor to Prime Minister Nawabzada Ghazanfar Gul moved the bill saying that the bill was aimed at constituting an autonomous organisation for post disaster damage assessment, recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation of the areas affected by the October, 2005 earthquake and to provide for matters connected.