The government on Wednesday boycotted the proceeding of Punjab Assembly in an unprecedented move by pointing out the quorum.
For the first time, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Raja Basharat led the treasury benches in boycott against the ‘unfriendly’ attitude of the PML-N-led opposition in Punjab Assembly. According to details, the PML-N was pressing Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari while demanding more time for its lawmaker Malik Ahmed Khan who was criticising the government and Mazari was reluctant to give him extra time. Malik Ahmed adopted silence in protest and Mazari gave the floor to Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal. The PML-N lawmakers walked out of the House in protest but later the MPAs were convinced to come back to the House by Minister for Food Samiullah Chaudhry and Minister for Live Stock Sardar Hussnain Bahadur Dareshak.
As the PML-N came back to the House, its MPAs once again demanded floor for Malik Ahmed from Mazari. Minister for Public Prosecution Chaudhry Zaheer said that it was decided in the business advisory meeting that every MPA will be given only 3-5 minutes except for ministers and parliamentary leaders to speak in the House but PML-N is violating the agreement. He went on to say that the PML-N MPAs is also degrading the sanctity of the office of the chair by dictating the deputy speaker.
PML-N MPA Samiullah Khan, who is the member of business advisory, said that we gave the government a list of our four MPAs having priorities to speak in the House but now government is violating the agreement. He was of the view that our list was signed by the Chief Whip and it was decided that these four MPAs will be given much time to speak in the House. It is pertinent to mention here that the session of Punjab Assembly was summoned on the requisition of the opposition having agenda item of general discussion on Kashmir issue, price control and law and order.
Law Minister Raja Basharat himself led treasury MPAs in boycott
Speaking on the occasion, law and parliamentary affairs minister Raja Basharat said that we decided to continue the session for four days despite the fact that it was summoned on the requisition of opposition just because of the importance of the issues on the agenda item but they are not serious in running the affairs of the House. PML-N’s Samiullah Khan said that the government continued the session for four days only to fulfill the mandatory 100 days of meeting the House in one parliamentary year. As he was speaking, minister Ch Zaheer passed some remarks that Samiullah Khan said were abusive and unparliamentarily. He ran towards Ch Zaheer in anger but stopped by former Speaker Rana Iqbal. MPA Samiullah Khan asked the Chair to take action against minister Ch Zaheer for using abusive language in the House. Amid this pandemonium and ruckus, law and parliamentary affairs minister Raja Basharat asked the opposition to fulfill the quorum and then he went out from the House in protest and was followed by all the treasury MPAs. The Deputy Speaker then prorogued the session for indefinite time period.
Later, talking to Daily Times, MPA Samiullah Khan said that the government didn’t want to face the opposition due to its policies and therefore their MPAs walked out of the House. “It is the first time ever in the history of the Punjab Assembly that Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs himself pointed out the quorum while leaving the House,” said MPA Samiullah Khan. He was of the view that government could hold the assembly session only for 34 days in 7 months and now it will have to sit for 66 days in just 5 months left to meet the 100 days mandatory in one parliamentary year.
