Now, parliamentarians fake attendance scam surfaces in Pak Punjab Assembly

LAHORE - Following the fake degree scam involving scores of Pakistani lawmakers, a new scandal of fake attendances by some parliamentarians has surfaced in the Punjab Assembly.

After it was disclosed that about 22 legislators, including seven women, had made fake attendances during the Assembly’s present session, PA Acting Speaker Rana Mashhood took serious notice of this malpractice, and issued orders for placing the attendance register in front of his chamber to avoid any further ‘cheating’, the Daily Times reports.

During the question hour session on Wednesday, when there were only 27 members present in the Punjab Assembly, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah brought the attendance register, which showed that 50 members were attending the Assembly’s meeting that day.

Sanaullah read out the names of the MPAs whose attendance was made, but they did not turn up for the meeting. It was also revealed during the meeting that some MPAs had not been attending the assembly sessions for the past many months, but the records showed their regular attendance.

Interestingly, the register also showed the presence of an MNA, who, just a day earlier, had sustained bullet injuries in a murder attempt that claimed the lives of his two gunmen.

Seeing this unlawful practice, Sanaullah requested the chair to take notice of the immoral practice. When some of the legislators criticised their colleagues’ cheating, the chair asked the members not to discuss the issue, saying that the matter would be resolved in his chamber.

Earlier, the chair was about to form a committee to probe the matter, but the law minister requested him to look into the matter personally. (ANI)