The government came under criticism in the Senate over failure to implement 18th Constitutional Amendment and warned by Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) that it would move the court if Sheikh Zyed Hospital, Lahore was not devolved to the Punjab government.
On the issue raised by the Senator Haseeb Khan that federal government has not fulfilled the commitment of setting up a Drug Regulatory Authority, leader of the House held Punjab government responsible for the delay. Senator Ishaq Dar of Pakistan Muslim League (N) immediately stood up and stated that federal government was treating Punjab like a stepmother by not devolving Sheikh Zahid Hospital to the provincial government.
Dar said that Sheikh Zyed Hospital Quetta has been handed over to the Balochistan government but federal government was reluctant to transfer Sheikh Zyed Hospital Lahore to the Punjab government. Ishaq Dar also informed the House that committee constituted by the Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani with him (Dar) and Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar on the issue has not met since Ramzan and has virtually become ineffective.
He said that the Punjab government would not support the federal government on drug regulatory authority if Sheikh Syed Hospital was not transferred to the province as per agreement and warned the federal government not to force the Pakistan Muslim League to move the court on all the issues.
Dar said that he would get a resolution passed from the Punjab government for establishment of drug regulatory authority within next 72 hours if federal government devolves Sheikh Zyed Hospital to Punjab government. Otherwise, he said that Punjab government is going to file a case in court and urged the Prime Minister to intervene and resolve the issue, as PML-N does not want to take every issue in the court.
Speaking on a point of order Senator Muhammad Ali Durrani accused Prime Minister Gilani for fanning linguistic hatred for political gains. He said that the government has not only stopped releasing funds for his constituency, but the Prime Minister is violating the constitution by treading the course of dividing people in Bahawalpur on linguistic basis.
"Prime Minister will be responsible if linguistic violence breaks out in Bahawalpur," he said, adding that people of Bahawalpur wanted a separate province but one person from Multan was creating hatred among people on the basis of Seraiki and non-Seraiki communities.