Speaker adjourns proceedings over assumptions

Says he heard the word 'quorum' and this caused much confusion

LAHORE: It is not unusual when proceedings are adjourned at the Punjab Assembly when opposition points to the lack of quorum, but it rarely happens when nobody points out quorum yet proceedings are adjourned, assuming someone has pointed it out as the word ‘quorum' was heard in the House.

This is what happened on Tuesday when during the question-answer session, a bell rang and legislators started looking at each other.

In a lightened mood a dialogue started between some treasury legislators and opposition leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, who said it was an alarming bell. The treasury legislators said it was the ring of happiness, perhaps he was pointing out at the victory of NA-120.

"The bell of happiness never rings," said Rasheed. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) Rana Arshad eased tension, informing the house there was a short-circuit and nothing dangerous would happen. Opposition leader Rana Arshad said he should complete the quorum if siren rang.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal khan heard the word ‘quorum' and said that the quorum was pointed out by the opposition. Afterwards, opposition leaders were surprised and also assured the speaker nobody had pointed out quorum but the speaker said he himself had heard someone had pointed out the quorum.

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The opposition legislators said that they would not leave the House and would sit at their benches to support the government for showing a required number of the House so that proceedings continued.

However, the House was adjourned for 15 minutes and then it was adjourned for Wednesday (today) at 10am after the government failed to come up with the required number of legislators.

The House proceedings, during the seventh sitting of the 31st session, could not proceed beyond 13 minutes. The sitting started one hour and 22 minutes behind its schedule with Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal in the chair. When the session started, only five lawmakers were present in the House.



Leader of the opposition Mian Mehmoodur Rashid pointed out the quorum that led to suspension of the proceedings. However, the quorum was found incomplete on resumption of the proceedings and the chair adjourned the sitting till Wednesday (today) at 10am.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2017.