NA Speaker seeks video footage of gates of Parliament

ISLAMABAD: Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has requested video footage from all gates and entry/exit points of the Parliament to determine who is responsible for detaining lawmakers on Parliament grounds.

Addressing various members’ points of order, the Speaker expressed his disappointment as the steward of the House, recalling past instances when the Parliament was assaulted by a political party and its affiliate.Govt committed to mitigate negative impacts of climate change: Romina

He promised that stringent measures will be taken, in collaboration with all political parties, to avoid such incidents in the future.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar criticized PTI for introducing a culture of animosity into politics. He condemned the derogatory remarks made by the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the military and its leadership, as well as women and journalists.

Tarar highlighted that these individuals have been in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for over 12 years and have allegedly misused government resources for personal gain.

Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated that the events of the previous day were a response to incidents that occurred on Sunday. He noted that the rhetoric used against women, journalists, and the nation’s unity poses a significant challenge to Pakistan’s federation.

Asif emphasized the need to adjust their approach to prevent severe reactions.Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain remarked that the “touch me not” policy would be ineffective if insults are directed at women and state institutions.

In response to a calling attention notice, Rana Tanveer Hussain clarified that there is no current proposal to close or dissolve the Utility Stores Corporation. He stated that only restructuring of the organization is being discussed, with assurances that employees’ rights will be safeguarded.

In response to another calling attention notice, Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik affirmed the government’s commitment to promoting Islamic banking in the country. He announced that new Sharia-compliant certificates worth 50 billion rupees would be introduced this month.

The House passed two resolutions. One resolution, presented by Muhammad Moin Amir Pirzada, suggested that the government should provide medical, mobile, and motorcycle insurance to motorcyclists, such as those working for food delivery services like Foodpanda and Bykea, through State Life Insurance, with all associated costs covered by the Government of Pakistan.

The second resolution, introduced by Syed Rafiullah, urged the government to take immediate action to enhance national sports programs by significantly increasing funding for athlete development and competitions.

The bills titled “The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) (Amendment) Bill, 2024” and “The Pakistan Environmental Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2024” were introduced in the House and referred to the relevant standing committees.The House will reconvene tomorrow at 11 a.m.