Daily Times

LAHORE: Joint opposition in the Punjab Assembly succeeded in stopping the government to run the assembly’s business as per agenda by exposing the lack of interest of the ruling legislators.

Punjab Assembly session on Monday started 43 minutes late to its scheduled time at 3pm under the chair of Speaker Rana Iqbal. The House adopted a question hour on the Auqaf and Religious Affairs, Environment Protection and Mines and Minerals Departments. Provincial Minister Ch Sher Ali and Parliamentary Secretaries Ejaz Achlana and Saqlain Anwar Sipra answered queries of their colleagues.

During the question hour, a female opposition member of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Faiza Malik informed the House about the alleged involvement of the Auqaf Lahore administrator, Auqaf Lahore zonal manager and his nephew, appointed as a clerk in the Auqaf Lahore office, in public land grabbing. Parliamentary Secretary Saqlain Sipra, in an effort to defend his department officers, used some offensive words against Faiza Malik, saying that she was a selected as a ‘private member’ on reserved seat as compared to him who was thrice elected directly in the House.

Anyhow, female members of the opposition benches along with male legislators started protesting against the parliamentary secretary for using insulting words for female legislators and demanded the speaker that he must snub the parliamentary secretary for disrespectful attitude towards female colleagues. When the speaker did not entertain their demand, they announced a walk out and left the House.

Interestingly, during the opposition’s walkout, a vocal female member of the treasury benches, Azma Bukhari, strongly criticised the opposition but the speaker asked her not to use aggressive language against the opponents.

After five minutes, on the request of Punjab government spokesman Zaeem Qadri and senior treasury member Anees Qureshi, who also took the side of the opposition for their valid questions on the land grabbing issue in Auqaf department, the opposition parties rejoined the assembly proceedings.

On this occasion, MPA Nabila Hakim Ali told the House that all members had equal rights in the assembly so everyone should avoid using disgraceful language, especially against females. Faiza Malik also opposed Azma Bukhari for criticising her, as she accused Faiza of not being loyal to a single party, but the speaker expunged them.

When the proceedings resumed, Auqaf Parliamentary Secretary Sipra told the House in response to a question of Faiza Malik that some new laws are being made by his government to vacate shops and other properties rented out on very low rents, adding that the laws would be introduced soon, as the existing rules have not given provision to the Auqaf Department to take any action against the such occupiers.

After the question hour, the House adopted adjournment motions’ session but unfortunately, not a single answer of any motion was submitted in the House, as most of the parliamentary secretaries were absent from the proceedings on which the opposition protested by thumping their desks, chanting slogans of poor performance and lack of interest of the authorities in the assembly proceedings.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed asked the speaker that he had submitted an adjournment motion about the FAFEN’s report in which Punjab was declared as number one province in terms of corruption and demanded to take it up ‘out of turn’ and hold a debate on the issue but the speaker refused, saying that it would be taken up at per rules.

Rasheed also raised the issue of renovation of the Governor House in Murree with a huge amount of Rs 430 million and said that opposition had no objection on such expenditures if the ruling Sharif brothers would spend the amount from their own pocket. He said such heavy expenses are a misuse of public fund especially when the children were dying in hospitals due to lack of medicines and ventilators.

On a point of order, Sardar Shahbuddin of PPP, belonging to south Punjab, raised the issue of distribution of ‘Bardana’ (Wheat Bags) to the middlemen on public centres and deprivation of growers in this regard. The government side gave total rebuttal of this and said that the opposition members should bring something in written on the matter.

Later, when the speaker announced to take up the government business for laying a bill related to fourth amendment in the Local Government and an ordinance related to agriculture and food authority, Rana Sanaullah stood for laying the ordinance, but PTI member Asif Mehmood pointed out the quorum. The government did not succeed in completing the required numbers of quorum, so the speaker adjourned the session till today (Tuesday) at 10am.