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Punjab PA slams Shazia s murder

Posted on: Tue January 26, 2010

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed four different resolutions, including those condemning the killing of 12-year-old maid Shazia and barring the federal government from giving transit trade facility to India till the resolution of the Kashmir issue and release of Pakistani water by India. Minister for Minorities Kamran Michael forwarded the resolution to condemn the killing of underage maidservant Shazia. The resolution was initially opposed by PML-Q parliamentarian Mohsin Leghari, who pleaded before Deputy Speaker Rana Mashud that he did not have any reservation about the spirit of the resolution but was opposing it on technical grounds. He said the mover had praised Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif for providing immediate relief to the victim s family while the resolution s third paragraph demanded police action against the accused in Sambarial, Korian and Gojra carnages. Mohsin Leghari was of the view that it was the failure of the Punjab government due to which such incidents took place. He said it was the media which took notice of Shazia s murder and there was no justification of praising the Punjab government. He also expressed his reservation about linking the incident with other minority-related incidents, stating that the case should not be made an issue of Christian-Muslim rift. Moreover, he said that under the law, the mover could not discuss different issues in one resolution as the resolution must focus on a single issue. Deputy Speaker Rana Mashud claimed that it was his discretion to allow any resolution to be presented before the House. He tabled the resolution, stating: This respectable session of the Punjab Assembly strongly condemns the incident of torturing and killing of 12-year-old innocent Shazia, daughter of Bashir Masih, and expresses its solidarity with her family. It recommends strict punishment to the killers of Shazia and such exemplary punishment should be given to the monster-like people who kill children that nobody in future dare torture anyone s daughter. This session pays homage to President of Pakistan, Prime Minister and especially Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif and Mian Nawaz Sharif who visited the residence of the victim and ensured the arrest of the criminals after taking legal action against them.

This session also recommends immediate arrest and exemplary punishments to the accused of Bahmaniwala, Sambarial, Korian and Gojra carnages as well as action against the officials held responsible in the light of the report of the Gojra Investigation Commission. The resolution was unanimously passed by the House. The other resolution was moved by PML-Q (forward bloc) parliamentarian Sheikh Allauddin, who demanded of the House to recommend to the federal government not to allow India transit trade facility from Wahga to Torkham border until the resolution of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the UNO resolutions and release of water to Pakistan. He also requested the closure of Indian TV channels in Pakistan. The opposition leader and some parliamentarians from the Treasury benches opposed the resolution and expressed their reservations about it. Opposition Leader Chaudhry Zaheer said the resolution would damage Pakistan s relationship with Afghanistan. He said the mover should remove the mention of transit trade facility to India from his resolution. Khawaja Islam, Mian Naseer, Rana Ijaz and Rana Afzal from the PML-N opposed the resolution, claiming that it was technically wrong because Pakistan under the UNO charter could not stop transit trade facility to any land-locked country. They also claimed that India had already been enjoying transit trade facility from Karachi to Afghanistan and it would be highly unwise to request the federal government to stop India s transit trade facility to Afghanistan from Lahore to Torkham as it had was already being done from Karachi to Torkham. Another parliamentarian from the PML-Q protested against Allauddin for using derogatory remarks against Quaid-e-Azam, following which the deputy speaker expunged such remarks. Nevertheless, Deputy Speaker Rana Mashud supported Allaudin Sheikh s point of view and tabled the resolution before the House which was unanimously passed. The Punjab Assembly also passed a resolution that the Punjab government should allot free five and three marla plots to deserving, giving soft loans to them for construction of houses. The resolution was moved by Deputy Opposition Leader Ahmed Yar Hiraj. Nasim Lodhi from the PML-Q (forward bloc) forwarded a resolution, requesting the federal government for making NCC training mandatory for students, which was also unanimously approved.

Courtesy : The News