Daily Times

Derogatory remarks by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Parliamentary Leader Syed Hassan Murtaza created ruckus in the Punjab Assembly on Friday, as the government threatened to walk out from the House while seeking apology from the PPP leader.

According to details, the remarks of the PPP MPA provoked the treasury members during the general discussion on price control in Punjab Assembly on Friday. “They continued dance and ‘Mujras’ for 126-day-long sit-in in Islamabad,” said Hassan Murtaza that provoked the women MPAs of ruling PTI who came from their benches while chanting slogans against the PPP MPA in front of the speaker’s dais.

Law minister Raja Basharat said that Hassan Murtaza is a senior politician but he used shameful and derogatory language and the government will not become part of the House proceedings anymore if he didn’t tender an apology and “we’ll also walk out from the House”. Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari, who was chairing the session, had to intervene who asked Murtaza to seek apology to pacify the government MPAs. Then, the PPP leader left with no option except to seek apology in the House.

“The government ministers call them thief and robbers who provided electricity to the people on cheaper rates but the incumbent government failed to add even a single megawatt in the national grid,” said PPP MPA. He said the skyrocketing prices especially the tomato is not being controlled by this government and how they (MPAs of government) will face the people in their respective constituencies whom the people had sent here by electing them through performing dance and Mujra in their 126 days of sit-in, said PPP lawmaker. The PTI MPA Uzma Kardar also used derogatory language against PPP lawmaker who walked out from the House in protest. Minister for Colonies Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan stood up and used derogatory language against PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari instead of speaking on the price control that provoked PPP lawmakers and PML-N MPAs, who sought apology from Chohan. He also started criticizing the PML-N leadership and blamed them for the current price hike and inflation. Later, abusive language was exchanged between the government and treasury benches in the House.

During the general discussion on price hike, PML-N’s Azma Zahid Bukhari questioned the performance of ruling party claiming the government has completely failed to control the current anarchy as well as to put the country on its right track. She said PM Khan had been making tall claims over PML-N’s leadership but where his vision has vanished and why the things are not becoming normal. Why people are not paying taxes now, why the sugar mafia is not being overpowered adding making claim on container is easier job rather than running state matters. She said country can be run with what she called ‘Karkhana’ not with ‘langar-khana’ as introduced by the PTI government.

Earlier, minister for Agriculture Malik Nauman Langrial admitted that the government cannot do anything to restrain farmers from using poisonous water for cultivation. The reply of the agriculture minister in which he claimed that they had attempted to convince farmers to stop using poisonous water but could not take action against them presented a dejected look of the government. He was giving answers to the queries of lawmakers during the question-hour. Later, the house was adjourned to meet again on Monday at 3pm.