Daily Times

LAHORE: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in the Punjab Assembly Friday took a sigh of relief after the opposition benches seems to have retreated from the demand of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s resignation over the Panamagate.

On Friday’s session, only seven lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) joined the session and pointed out the quorum twice but unusually did not chant even a single slogan against the PML-N or its leaders in the House.

Interestingly, Opposition Leader Mehmoodur Rashid marked his attendance in the register but did not join the session. Anyhow, talking to media persons, he confirmed that his party chairman Imran Khan was offered a bribe of Rs 10 billion. “Imran must have got some proofs in this regards,” he said.

He said that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif could knock at the court’s door against Imran’s claim but added that he (CM) would lose the case.

The Punjab Assembly session started one hour and 14 minutes late to its scheduled time at 10am, with Speaker Rana Iqbal in the chair.

Only 21 members, including three of opposition, were present at the beginning which prompted Dr Murad Rass to point out the quorum. However, the session resumed after one hour and 11 minutes and adopted question hour session on the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department.

Replying to a question, Parliamentary Secretary PS Mohammad Ali Khokhar informed the House that the government had made an agreement with a private company for buying computerised tomography (CT) machines that would be installed at hospitals until July of this year. He said that drug inspectors had been selected and they would take charge of their duties at vacant seats in districts within a month.

During the session, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan informed the speaker that as per commitment with the journalists, he wanted to move a resolution against some media house for irregularities in salaries. However, an opposition member, Ahsan Riaz Fatiyana, pointed out the quorum and the resolution could not be tabled.

Later, the speaker prorogued the session for an indefinite period of time after the government failed to complete the quorum.