Daily Times

The opposition in Punjab Assembly staged severe protest on Monday over non-issuance of the production orders of opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz and the arrest of PML-N MPA Khawaja Imran Nazir.

As the session started, the lawmakers of PML-N stood at their benches while chanting slogans against the Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar. The MPAs of the opposition were also carrying the placards inscribed with the anti-government slogans. They came outside from their benches and staged a sit-in just in front of the Speaker’s dais while chanting slogans against the government.

As per the details, the session of Punjab Assembly started after the delay of more than two hours from its scheduled time with Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in the chair. The opposition started its protest just before the start of the agenda item as the production orders for the opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz were not issued by the Speaker. ‘Atta Choron Ki Sarkar….Nhi Chlay Gi…Nhi Chlay Gi…Imran Tera Akhri Thikana…Pagal Khana…Pagal Khana…’ were the slogans chanted by the PML-N MPAs including Azma Bukhari and MPA Tariq Masih Gill. The government business couldn’t be taken in the House on Monday due to the pandemonium created by the opposition lawmakers. The PML-N MPAs also tore the copies of agenda item during the protest.

Speaking on the occasion, PML-N MPA Samiullah Khan said that the Prime Minister has said that he will not give the production orders to anyone despite the fact that only the Speaker has an authority to issue these production orders of detained lawmakers. He further added that Prime Minister has attacked the Speaker by giving such statement. “The PM doesn’t meet the government allies during his Lahore visits and now he has attacked Ch Pervaiz Elahi while giving such statement about the production orders. Our sympathies are with the Speaker over the issue,” he said. Neither the democracy nor this House can be run this way, said MPA Samiullah Khan.

The Speaker adjourned the House for 10 minutes to avert the protest of the opposition but the MPAs once again started sloganeering once the House met again after the prayer break.

Speaking in the House, MPA Sardar Awais Laghari said that the government has beaten the poor farmers instead of providing them relief. “This House should be told that who is responsible for the death of farmer Ishfaq Langrial,” said Laghari, while demanding judicial commission to probe the tragic incident. He further added that the government has started arresting the PML-N leaders in the wake of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) jalsa scheduled in Lahore on 13th December. “Why MPA Khawaja Imran Nazir was arrested ahead of the PDM jalsa in Lahore,” he asked.

It is worth mentioning here that MPA Khawaja Imran Nazir, who is also PML-N Lahore’s General Secretary, was arrested by the police few days ago. The police also launched FIR against PML-N leaders who staged sit-in outside the police station where Nazir was taken. The FIR was launched against MPAs Azma Bukhari, Samiullah Khan, Ghazali Butt, PML-N deputy secretary general Atta ullah Tarar and former minister Siara Afzal Tarar.

The speaker later adjourned the session to meet again on Tuesday afternoon.