LAHORE, Feb 12: The Punjab Assembly on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution, urging the federal government to ask visiting US envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke to stop drone attacks and military operations inside Pakistan.

The resolution also called for conveying to Mr Holbrooke to influence Kabul and New Delhi to desist from issuing statements against Islamabad and ensure that India resolve the Kashmir issue in the light of the resolutions of the United Nations.

The resolution, moved by Pakistan Muslim League-N MPAs Mehar Ishtiaq and Chaudhry Afzal Sarfaraz was adopted by the house.

Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah and opposition member Mohsin Leghari moved a resolution, condemning the killing of NWFP assembly member Alam Zeb Khan in a Peshawar bombing on Wednesday.

The unanimously adopted resolution lauded the services rendered by the late Mr Khan for restoring peace in the tribal areas, especially Swat. “Once Mr Zeb sat throughout the PA session on the floor in protest against non-availability of furniture in a school of his constituency,” the resolution said.

The house offered fateha for the departed soul and expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.

Through another unanimously adopted resolution, moved by treasury member Shumaila Aslam, the Punjab Assembly urged the federal and provincial governments to take measures to check the rising violence against women, especially the menace like Karo Kari, Vani, Watta Satta, dowry, forced and childhood marriages, besides honour killing.

Women should be given equal right to education, health and employment, she said. No debate on Agriculture: The Punjab Assembly could not hold a debate on agriculture on Thursday after a treasury member pointed out quorum. The chair decided the “important” issue would be discussed at length and reserved a full day to discuss agriculture.

Minister for Agriculture Ahmad Ali Aulakh had only opened debate by delivering policy speech and the house was to discuss it with special reference to availability of fertilizers in Punjab when Ahmed Hassan Dahr, a treasury MPA, stood on a point of order and lamented the lack of interest on the part of his colleagues over the issue while drawing the attention of the chair to quorum. At that time, 19 MPAs were present in the house.

Deputy Speaker Rana Mashhood ordered ringing of the bells for five minutes but in the subsequent counting found the house not in quorum and the proceedings of the house were adjourned till Friday.

Mr Mashhood said it was the responsibility of the treasury to maintain quorum while appreciating the principle move by Mr Dahr.

“The matter is very important, so the Thursday’s agenda list will be carried forward and the house will discuss the matter the whole day on Monday,” ruled the deputy speaker.

Earlier, Mr Aulakh informed the house that the provincial government was trying to develop agriculture in spite of numerous constraints.

Agriculture has been employing 48 per cent of the total manpower in the province that also housed between 70 to 75 per cent of its total population in rural areas.

The sector in Punjab contributed a lot in the economy of the country by producing 78 per cent of the total wheat, 80 per cent cotton, 94 per cent potato, 68 per cent sugarcane and 97 per cent rice, he said.Ironically, the minister said, the contribution of the sector in the total GDP had been on the decrease over the years and reduced from 45 to 22 per cent like the overall farm produce that had come down owing primarily to water scarcity. Insufficient rains and hurdles in initiating work on water reservoirs, especially Kalabagh Dam, caused 38 per cent of shortfall in water availability in the province, he said.

In 2007-08, wheat production was recorded at 15.6 million tons against 18.5 million tons target, rice 4.2 million tons against 3.3 million tons and sugarcane 31.8 million tons against 37.8 million tons.

Punjab had been getting 12.75 per cent of its water share as against the sanctioned 19.75 per cent for the last couple of years. There was a 38 per cent less utility of DAP fertilisers as the 85 per cent small growers in Punjab could not buy it because of increase in its cost.

The minister stressed the need to raise awareness among the farmers about the use of modern farm gadgets and techniques, adding that the government had developed agricultural research centres and introduced better quality seeds of wheat, cotton, rice and fodder that could help increase the per acre produce.