Opposition vents anger over Black Friday sales, publicity

Says the government is playing role of silent spectator

LAHORE: Opposition benches boycotted Punjab Assembly proceedings after demanding that strict action be taken against those who were observing ‘Black Friday’.

As the question-hour session ended, opposition leader Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed lashed out at the government for not taking any concrete measures in this regard. He said hoardings for Black Friday could be seen in different squares, but the government was playing the role of silent spectators.

He said the issue raised on Khatam-i-Nabuwat could not be concluded by the government and now traders were taking advantage of Black Friday. He said the day was being publicised, but no action was taken against the people responsible. The opposition leader asked that a strict ban be imposed on observing Black Friday and called for the arrest of those marking the occasion.



Umar Farooq and Muhammad Waheed Gul from the treasury and Khadija Umar and Saida Sohail Rana of the opposition also supported Rasheed’s stance.

Minister for Excise and Taxation Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman joined in the conversation and said people have no problems with the sales, but held strong reservations over the name “Black Friday”.

He suggested a joint resolution be presented over the matter when the law minister reached the house. The opposition leader, responding to Rehman, said a conspiracy was being hatched against Islam. He questioned the government’s inaction with regard to arresting those responsible for promoting Black Friday.

Rasheed demanded that banners and panaflexes be removed on an immediate basis. Later, he and fellow opposition members boycotted house proceedings. Rehman, meanwhile, assured the house that the departments concerned had been intimated and the government condemned Black Friday sales.

For a brief moment, the opposition again joined house proceedings to pass a resolution related to including an essay titled “Aqida Khatam-e-Nabuwat” in the curriculum of Muslim students.

House proceedings once again started late at 10:30, while the scheduled time was 9am. There were as many as 13 questions on the agenda related to the Cooperatives and Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control departments, but not even a single mover was present in the House when the speaker called their names.



However, the speaker had to adjourn the house for 20 minutes and proceedings started again at 11:10 am. Only one question was taken up as mover Dr Najma Afzal of the treasury benches reached the session, while the others failed to show up. At the same time, Muhammad Arshad Malik, Mian Tariq Mehmood and Madiha Rana requested the speaker to leave their questions pending as they would not be available. At 11:32am PTI legislator Nabila Hakim Ali Khan pointed to the lack of the quorum upon which the bells were rung for five minutes. At 11:38, the legislators were counted and the session was further adjourned for 15 minutes.

At 12:05, the session started again, but this time the speaker had to adjourn the House will 2pm on Monday as the government failed to show up the required number of legislators.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2017.