LAHORE, Feb 19: The Punjab Assembly on Thursday unanimously rejected increase in the Sui gas tariff, urging the federal government to withdraw it to provide relief to the people.

The demand was made by Sheikh Allauddin through a resolution rejecting the six-time increase in gas tariff which was adopted unanimously. It also urged the federal government to direct the Sui gas company to enhance the charges only up to 10 per cent.

Replying to a call-attention notice by opposition’s Tahir Iqbal Chaudhry and others, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said the killer of an eight-year-old girl of Lahore’s Green Town had been identified and police had been asked to either arrest him within 10 days or face stern action.

Responding to another notice on the killing of seven people by dacoits who struck to loot gold in Sheikhupura, the minister said police had found some vital clues to the culprits. Taking a serious note of the incident, the chief minister had directed the DPO concerned to arrest the robbers within seven days, failing which action would be taken against him and all other police officials concerned.

The law minister took a serious note of a complaint lodged by MPA Abdul Waheed Chaudhry that traffic wardens in Multan had beaten up an MNA’s brother, and even misbehaved with him on telephone. He requested the speaker to directly refer the MPA’s statement to the privileges committee so that the accused wardens could be taken to task.

MPA Waris Kalloo, who was in the chair, had to face criticism from the opposition when he said the law and order had improved in the province. “You also said this in the past assembly,” a member said while referring to the Mr Kalloo’s past relations with the PML-Q. The issue of law and order was raised by MPA Shafiq Anwar on a point of order mentioning lawlessness in Sadiqabad. The law minister said the MPA should have taken up the issue in the recently concluded debate on law order. He, nevertheless, assured the house that a stern action would be taken against police officials of the district found unable to maintain law and order there.

Replying to a question by MPA Rai Kashif Khan, the minister assured the house that he would inquire as to why the rate of rice had been reduced from Rs3,000 per 40kg to Rs 2,600 per 40kg in Punjab.

Responding to an adjournment motion by Mr Waris Kalloo, the law minister said 99.9 per cent payment to sugarcane growers had been made by the millers. He said the government would ensure the same pattern of payment in the forthcoming crushing season.

He said the upper age limit for the holders of health and physical education diplomas could not be enhanced from the existing 35 years as per a government decision, and a ruling by the Lahore High Court.

The issue was agitated by PML-N’s Mian Rafiq through an adjournment motion, saying the decision was an injustice to those diploma holders who had become over-aged because of the past ban on recruitments.

Responding to a pending adjournment motion by Mr Sher Ali, the minister said 547 baildars were removed from service in Attock because they were recruited on contract basis without finance department’s approval.

Those who had approached the LHC against their dismissal had been reinstated, the minister said assuring the MPA to resolve the issue after a meeting with DDO (finance) concerned because, he said, the issue related to poor people’s source of income.

An adjournment motion moved by Mian Rafiq to seek government intervention in the closure of the Sir William Robert Trust meant for awarding scholarships to poor students of Faisalabad Agriculture University was kept pending for want of proper reply from the department concerned.

The mover said the government should look into the matter as a lot many students, including the three who later became vice-chancellors of the university, had benefited from the scholarships.

Another adjournment motion by Mr Tahir Sarwar Chaudhry, who wanted constitution of zakat committees in the province, was kept pending. Mr Chaudhry had said the committees could not be constituted because of differences between the ruling PPP and the PML-N.

An adjournment motion by PML-Q’s Samina Khawar Hayat was disposed after the law minister said no transport plying on Lahore-Kasur route had been disallowed entry to the metropolis. Only their route had been slightly changed in Lahore to facilitate traffic, he said.

Responding to a point of order by PML-Q’s Ejaz Shafi, the minister said development work had not been affected in the province due to the tussle between the PPP and the PML-N as claimed by the MPA. He attributed the delay to corruption in the system, especially among contractors. The delay would now be covered in the next three to four months because of the remedial steps taken by the government, he added.

BISP: Senior Minister Raja Riaz asked all the assembly members to collect their share of Benazir Income Support Programme forms from BISP’s New Muslim Town office in Lahore. The forms were for all MPAs, he said.

As nearly 30,000 forms sent by MNAs had been rejected because of mistakes in furnishing the relevant information, programme head Farzana Raja briefed the MPAs later in the day to enable them to properly guide the deserving people in this regard. There was no last date for submitting the forms.

FELICITATION: PML-Q MPA Sher Ali congratulated President Zardari, Mr Nawaz Sharif and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain for reaching an agreement on the Senate elections, saying the country needed such cohesion to face the challenges it was facing.

Mr Waris Kalloo who was in the chair, however, said they all got united to serve their own purpose.

Minister said these were the people of Pakistan and the media who deserved appreciation for making the political parties respect each others’ mandate.

REPRIMAND: Speaker Rana Iqbal reprimanded those MPAs who, he said, used to chew beetle leaves and indulge in gossip during the session. They should go to the lobby if they wanted to eat something or gossip. They should concentrate on the business when in the house, he said.

JOURNALIST’S KILLING: The house observed one-minute silence to mourn the killing of journalist Musa KhanKhel in Swat. Parliamentary Secretary Shaukat Bisra condemned the killing and assured the house the killers would soon be arrested.

Reporters covering the session twice boycotted the proceedings to condemn the killing of Musa Khan and the misbehaviour of Lahore traffic wardens with local journalists.