LAHORE: In what appears to be an unprecedented move, the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker frustrated at the absence of the provincial food secretary from Officials Gallery pended all questions included in the Question Hour regarding the department.

Deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani, who was holding the chair, also asked Parliamentary Secretary for Food Chaudhry Asadullah to check where the food secretary was during the House proceedings despite the standing instructions that secretary of the department which would be under discussion in the House should remain present there.

Mr Asadullah, failing to give satisfactory replies to members` queries, told the chair that the secretary was in Multan with regard to the anti-adulteration task force set up by the chief minister. But Mr Gorchani said it did not mean the officer should have absented himself from the House as the principal secretary to the chief minister had assured the speal(er that the departmental secretaries would not be given such tasks that could prevent their presence in the assembly when required.

He asked Mr Asadullah to also convey the message to the food secretary that the officer was not setting `good precedent.

Taking up adjournment motions, Mr Gorchani also pended a motion regarding illegal occupation of state land and demolition of a mosque allegedly by former MPA Sardar Nasrullah Dreshak and his son Ali Raza Dreshak, a PTI MPA, ex-finance minister HasnainBahadur Dreshak and Zulfikar Dreshak in Mauza Tataarwala, Jampur, Rajanpur.

The chair directed Parliamentary Secretary Nazar Husain to check the latest situation whether the state land had been vacated from the influential persons or not and report to the House on Monday. The motion had been submitted by MPAs Amjad Ali Javed and Mian Naseer.

KHANZADA: PTI MPA Mian Aslam Iqbal demanded that the House recommend the highest civil award for slain minister Shuja Khanzada besides extending his heirs all privileges that are offered by good institutions like the army and police to its martyred officers. He said the issue should be referred to a select committee for seeking input from other MPAs.

The chair told the MPA that a committee was already working on the issue and directed that Mian Aslam as well as parliamentary leaders of other parties should also be invited to its proceedings. It was also told that the Punjab cabinet had already recommended conferring Tamgha-i-Shujaat on the late Khanzada.

Earlier, a photograph of the minister was hung at the staircase that leads to the first floor of the assembly.

Meanwhile, 11 ordinances were laid before the House and referred to relevant standing committees for whetting. These were Punjab Safe Cities Authority, Local Government (amendment), Forest (amendment), Local Government (second amendment), Drugs (amendment), Food Authority (amendment), Drugs (second amendment), Special Protection Unit, Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (amendment), Infrastructure Development Authority, and Punjab Pure Food (amendment) ordinances, 2015.