Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators tabled two adjournment motions in the Punjab Assembly amid slogans of “Go Nawaz Go” during Wednesday session. Punjab Assembly session started one hour and 28 minutes late to its scheduled time at 10am. Soon after one-hour question hour session, Deputy Speaker Sher Ali Gorchani announced to take up adjournment motions but Opposition Leader Mehmoodur Rasheed stood on a point of order and condemned the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government for “arresting” people chanting “Go Nawaz Go” slogans. The opposition leader said that the government had arrested several shopkeepers and traders in Mianwali district for displaying placards inscribed with slogans of “Go Nawaz Go”. He said that some athletes were also arrested for chanting slogans of “Go Nawaz Go” during a match a few days ago. He strongly condemned the arrests and asked the government to change its attitude to deal with the protesting people. He also demanded the government to immediately release all arrested people, including traders, shopkeepers and sportsmen. Pertinent to mention here is that the opposition did not insist the chair to take up its resolution against the prime minister and used the adjournment motions as tactics to raise their voice for the cause. Both the treasury and opposition benches chanted slogans against each other’s leadership till the adjournment of the session. However, when the chair announced to take up the government business, opposition member Asif Mehmood pointed out the quorum but the treasury benches succeeded to complete the quorum after five minutes suspension and later laid two ordinances regarding the Punjab Shehr-e-Khamoshan Authority and Punjab Boilers and Pressure Vessels (Amendment). Later, the chair adjourned the session till today (Thursday).