Punjab Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja told the Provincial Assembly on Friday that election of Chairman on Local Governments could not be held in the House on Thursday due to lack of quorum.
He denied the notion put forward on Point of Order by opposition legislator Imtiaz Habib Gul that meeting of Standing Committee on Local Government could not be arranged due to prohibiting of opposition members from participating in it.
Punjab Law Minister replying to an adjournment motion tabled by opposition MPA Sami Ullah Khan stated that permission to hold festivals was responsibility of horticulture authority and local government.
These while giving consent on holding of the events never in any way sanctioned gambling, he stressed.
Provincial Law Minister Mushtaq Kayani also giving his view on the concern shown by Punjab legislators regarding increasing menace of gambling in festivals dilated that provincial government always stood for promotion of culture, but it never allowed gambling during such festivities.
On a question on forest department Punjab Minister Dr Ashfaq-ur-Rehman told the House that there were four nurseries established by forest department in and around the city.
The minister giving details on tree plantation on area of forestry department stated that during the period 2002-2003, Pak army planted 14,382 trees, education department 25,000 trees and forest department on its area planted 106,700 trees during the period.
Minister for forestry apprised the House that 20 to 25 percent of area, keeping in view peculiar conditions of a country was necessary to be under forests. In Punjab only 3.1 percent of area remained under forests, he added.
The minister averred that in order to educate public of importance of forests, workshops, seminars and festivals are held at the level of province.
He apprised the House that there were 13 parks under forestry department in the province.
Punjab law minister replying to a Point of Order raised by MPA Syed Ehsan Ullah Waqas on holding of mass congregation by Jamaat-i-Islami at Minar-e-Pakistan said that decision in this regard was a matter pertinent to District Government.
The legislator intervening on a Point of Order stated that Liaquat Baluch a senior leader of the party had met chief minister Punjab in that connection and even the head of Jamaat-i-Islami had telephoned Punjab chief minister for this.
Dilating that chief minister had given permission in this context, however the actual ground facts were contrary to it. District Government is whether under the provincial government, the legislator posed question.
Treasury benches stressed upon the need of President Pervez Musharraf of not doffing off his uniform during the session. The House was adjourned for 3:00 pm till Monday later by the Chair.