The government and opposition members, including ministers, protested in the Punjab Assembly against the Protection of Islam Bill. Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi raised strong objections to the bill, rejected it and demanded amendments to the bill with the approval of the Federal Shariat Court. Law Minister Raja Basharat assured the House that no further progress would be made on the bill till there is full consensus on it.
In the beginning of the meeting, several members of the Assembly stood up and asked for permission to speak on the point of view. Some members of the government and the opposition raised objections to the Protection of Islam Bill and demanded its withdrawal. Pir Ashraf Rasool revealed that the bill was passed by the assembly at the request of Shehzad Akbar.
Meanwhile, PTI member Syed Yawar Abbas Bukhari apologized to the House for supporting the Security Foundation Scam Bill. Members of the Assembly said that we were kept in the dark at the time of passage of the bill, the bill will create sectarian tensions in Pakistan, the Assembly can not tell anyone what his sect is.
The bill should be brought back to the assembly and a committee of religious scholars should be formed on it from all schools of thought. If the bill is brought back to the assembly, the bill will not be accepted under any circumstances. If it belongs to the government, then the approval of the cabinet should be shown. If it has been passed in private, then from which committee it has been passed.
He said that my name was also in the committee even though I do not know. I was not given any information. This bill will push us in the dark. Provincial Law Minister Raja Basharat in reply said that after the passage of the bill, there were objections to it on which the bill was not sent to the Governor for approval.
To remove reservations on the bill, amendments will be made with the opinion of Ulema, I assure you that there will be no progress on this bill till there is a consensus on the bill. The government wants there to be a complete consensus on this bill. It is the duty of the members of the assembly to read every bill from home. It is the duty of the legislature to play its role
In the meeting, former Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Iqbal requested to adjourn the Question Hour, after which the Deputy Speaker adjourned the Question Hour. The meeting was adjourned till Monday, August 10 by the Deputy Speaker.
