LAHORE: Punjab Energy Minister Dr Akhtar Malik said on Monday that government was going to table bill in the House for the creation of South Punjab province.
While participating in the budget debate in Punjab Assembly Akhtar Malik said that PTI government would fulfil its promise of creation of South Punjab under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar.
While criticising the opposition, the minister said those who announced their withdrawal from the demand of making South Punjab province were now talking about making South Punjab province.
He criticized PMl (N) government for launching expensive power projects.
The session started 52 minutes late under the chair of Panel of Chair Mian Shafi Muhammad.
Parliamentary leader, Jahangir Khan Tareen group, Saeed Akbar Niwani while criticising PPP parliamentary leader Syed Hassan Murtaza said his behaviour was non-serious.
He said due to corruption budget was not properly utilised. He also said that unless there was corruption, the budget would not achieve the desired results.
“I would say that when politicians start looking at the people instead of the establishment the system will be fine,” Niwani said.
Earlier, the meeting of the Especial Committee No 13 was held under the chair of Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervez Elahi.
Meanwhile, around three dozen MPAs from both sides of the aisle took part in the budget discussion during the ongoing session of the Punjab Assembly.
The treasury MPAs criticised the previous regimes for destroying the economy while applauding the PTI government for presenting by terming the budget a remarkable achievement of PTI government.
On the other hand, the opposition MPAs lashed out at the government for destroying the economy of the country including Punjab that was the largest province. They also said the government deprived them of development funds.
“Pakistan is destroyed when the growth rate is 5.8 and Pakistan is progressing when growth rate is 1 or 2 percent,” said MPA Samiullah Khan of PML-N.
He further said the per capita income was $1600 in 2018 and now it was $1200.
PPP MPA Mumtaz Ali Chang sat on the floor just in front of the Speaker’s dais in protest for not giving him time to express his views on the budget.
From treasury benches, MPAs Asif Majeed, Farhat Masood, Seemabia Tahir, Mahindar Pal Singh, Sardar Shahab ud Din, Sabreena Javed, Wasiq Qayum Abbasi, Shaheena Karim, Sania Kamran, Malik Ahmad Bhachar, Akhtar Malik of PTI, Independent MPAs Ahmad Ali Aulakh and Saeed Akbar Niwani and Shujat Nawaz and Khadija Umar of PML-Q took part in the budget session.
From PML-N, MPAs Rana Munawar Ghaus, Manazar Hussain Ranjha, Khalid Iqbal, Moazzam Sher Kallu, Arshad Javaid, Salma Butt, Munneb ul Haq, Zaheer Iqbal, Bilal Yaseen, Saqib Khursheed, Naeem Safdar, Malik Ahmad, Malik Waheed, Malik Sohaib Bharat and Mian Marghob took part in the budget discussion.
The session was later adjourned to meet again on Tuesday afternoon.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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