PA unanimous against raise in gas tariff. - The Nation (Karachi, Pakistan)

By IQTIDAR GILANI LAHORE, February 19 (THE NATION): The Punjab Assembly on Thursday demanded of the Federal government to issue directions to SNGPL for reviewing raise in gas tariff and not increase it by more than 10 per cent. The Punjab Assembly unanimously passed the resolution moved by Sh Allauddin in which he stated that unprecedented raise in the gas tariff has increased the miseries of consumers. The House unanimously passed the resolution, demanding the Federal government to immediately declare as null and void the inflated Sui gas bill sent to the consumers, and also direct the SNGPL not to send previous bills with increase of more than 10 per cent. Earlier, when the proceedings of the Punjab Assembly started one and a quarter hour behind scheduled time, the journalists staged a walk out from press gallery to protest against brutal killing of Musa Khan Khel in Matta. An opposition legislator asked Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal to suspend the proceedings for offering Fateha for the journalist. Ijaz Shafi said that it was a great tragedy and a direct attack on freedom of Press. The Speaker said that Fateha could not be offered as funeral of the slain journalist was not taken place. The house observed one-minute silence to express sympathies and deep sense of sorrow with the bereaved family. To a number of supplementary questions on introduction of Mass Transit Train Project in the City during Question Hour, Parliamentary Secretary Transport, Khurram Gulfam informed the House that the project would be initiated soon to resolve the transport problems. He said that in the first phase, the feasibility study has been completed, while two foreign firms have prepared the projects reference design in the second phase. In the next phase, construction work on the project would be initiated after examination of the design, he added. He said that government was taking effective measures to improve public transport for which a task force had been constituted. On the recommendation of the task force, the Lahore Transport Company had been set up to improve and streamline the matters relating to the urban transport, he said. To a supplementary question, the Punjab Minister for Special Education, Iqbal Channar said that Chief Minister had allocated Rs 2 billion for the uplift of the disabled children of the province. Rs 2.2 million each has been released to districts for provision of pick and drop facility to the disabled children of special education schools and centres, he informed the House. During Question Hour, the journalists walked out of the press gallery at around 12:20 to protest against SP Traffic Sardar Asif for his misbehaviour with journalists on many occasions. The Speaker Rana Iqbal tasked the Food Minister Nadeem Kamran, treasury MPA Rana Afzal and opposition members- Ejaz Shafi and Amna Ulfat, to bring the protesting journalists back to the gallery. The reporters ended their protest on the request of the parliamentary team. To a Call Attention Notice regarding murder of an eight-year-old girl Sonu after rape in Green Town area, the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sana Ullah Khan said that the Punjab Government has given 10-day deadline to the local police for arresting the culprit. He said that the person involved in heinous crime has been identified and the police were conducting raids for his arrest. He assured the House that a stringent action would be taken against police officials if they failed to arrest the culprit within 10 days. To another Call Attention Notice, the law minister informed the House that the government has directed DPO Sheikhupura to submit detailed report within three days regarding killing of manager of a trader, his two gunmen and driver, two passengers boarding in a van during a dacoity attempt at Dheerway More Interchange near Sheikhupura. The minister said that the government has taken serious notice of dacoity attempt and appropriate action would be taken after getting report from DPO Sheikhupura. The law minister introduced the University of Health Science Lahore (Amendment) Bill 2009. After getting consent from the House, the Speaker referred the bill to the PA Standing Committee on Health to report by March 15.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)