LAHORE: Punjab cabinet members dissociated themselves on Tuesday from the anti-Hindu remarks of (now former) information minister Fayyazul Hasan Chohan as the opposition staged a boycott in the Punjab Assembly to lodge its strong protest over the wordings.

The issue was raised by PML-N’s Khalil Tahir Sandhu who said Mr Chohan disgraced the Pakistani Hindus who stood by the country at a time when it was facing threats of war while the ministers were dividing the nation (through such remarks). The rulers should spare Pakistani Hindus and condemn, if they wanted to, Modi and India, he said.

He said the opposition fully supported Hindus in Sindh. Hindus in Sindh and Punjab were patriotic Pakistanis.

“We give a damn to Narendra Modi,” he said.

Prosecution Minister Chaudhry Zaheer said he was proud of the patriotism of Pakistani Hindus, Christians and Sikhs. Pakistani flag’s white portion reflects minorities and “we are proud of it, he said, adding the government did not agree with to remarks by Mr Chohan.

He said Pakistan belonged to all those who were its citizens. “I offer my apologies over the minister’s remarks,” he said.

Human Rights Minister Ijaz Alam also rejected the recent wording of PTI’s Faisal Vawda calling it irresponsible. His words did not represent the PTI which had for the first time in the country’s history announced celebration of Christmas and Holi at the official level, he said.

PPP’s Makhdoom Usman said the government should educate its ministers. Statements like of Mr Chohan’s would tarnish Pakistan’s international image.

Following that the opposition staged a walk out but was brought back to the house by Mr Zaheeruddin. Mr Sandhu upon his return demanded resignation of Mr Chohan.

This prompted Deputy Speaker Dost Mazari to ask the minister to tender his apology in the house and give a good message to the people.

PPP’s Hasan Murtaza called Mr Chohan a target killer who would (verbally) target someone every now and then. He would utter such remarks on the media to keep himself politically alive, he said.

Former speaker Rana Iqbal said minorities played an active role in the creation of Pakistan and that was why the white portion of the national flag represented them. Article 25 of the constitution gave the minorities full citizenship rights. Using the word minority for such citizens was itself wrong, he said.

Earlier, in the very beginning of the session, PTI’s Ghazanfar Abbas Chheena urged the deputy speaker to allow him move a private bill seeking increase in the salaries of the MPAs which he said were far less than their counterparts in other provinces.

Law Minister Raja Basharat did not oppose it but informed the house that he was sending a summary to the chief minister for approval on the same issue. Hopefully, a related bill would be presented in the house by the government during the current session of the assembly.

The deputy speaker said this bill should be tabled during the week.

He again took a strong exception to the absence of some ministers which led to the pending of numerous resolutions by the members. He asked the law minister to talk to the chief minister on the issue, making the ministers attend the session. “Salary of the missing ministers would be stopped in future,” he said.

The house unanimously passed a single resolution by Mr Safdar Shakir seeking inscription of Kalma-i-Tayyaba at the entrance of the Punjab Assembly on the pattern of the National Assembly.

It rejected three resolutions by Akhtar Ali, Mian Manazar Ranjha and Chaudhry Iftikhar Husain.

The pending resolutions included the one by PML-N MPA Hina Butt demanding serious attempts to eradicate polio whose virus had been culled in Lahore after eight years. Ms Butt asked the government to also introduce a bill on the pattern of the Islamabad Compulsory Vaccination and Protection of Health Workers Bill for effectively controlling polio.

Speaking during the question hour, Labour Minister Ansar Majeed said the government would soon introduce a bill in the assembly that would make private contracting firms take care of their labour in accordance with the Punjab government’s labour policy.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2019