Disinterested lawmakers: Govt fails to meet quorum for fourth straight day

Treasury seem helpless in motivating its legislators to ensure presence in PA

LAHORE: It was the fourth consecutive day when the Punjab government failed to run the business of the House owing to an insufficient number of its legislators in the assembly even after the speaker prolonged the 55-minute adjournments to last over 267 minutes collectively.

No pre-budget discussion could be started in the past three days by the legislators of both treasury and opposition benches as the lawmakers from the opposition benches pointed out quorum while the government seemed helpless before its legislators in motivating them to ensure their presence for meeting the required number in the House.

In last three days on March 5, 6 and 7 only three questions (only one question a day) was taken up in Punjab Assembly while on March 9, the proceedings of the House was just moving ahead towards the question-answer session but PTI’s Murad Rass pointed out the quorum which finally forced Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan to adjourn the House for Monday 2pm.

March 5

The House proceedings had started on 2:48 while the scheduled time was of 2pm. After Tilawat and Naat, the question-answer session started. The session could hardly run for nine minutes. There were 14 questions relating to revenue, colonies and mines and minerals but only one question was taken up while the rest of the questions could not be taken up as Nazia Raheel, parliamentary secretary of Revenue, could not reach the House to respond relevant queries. Meanwhile, PTI’s legislator Dr Murad Rass pointed out quorum. First, the bells were rung for five minutes, later, at 3:30pm the House was adjourned for 20 minutes. A 20-minute adjournment spanned over 93 minutes which later forced the speaker to adjourn the House for Tuesday 10am after the government could not show the required number of legislators.

Three audit reports of different housing schemes, departments and construction projects and seven bills were on the agenda on that day.

March 6

The House proceedings started at 11:11am while the scheduled time was 10am. Only one, out of eight questions, was taken up as parliamentary secretary for Home Department Rana Muhammad Afzal could not come due to the death of his relative. PTI’s Nabila Hakim Ali Khan had pointed out the quorum.

March 7

The session started on 10:47am while the scheduled time was at 10am. During the question-answer session, only one question was taken up out of 10 questions on the agenda as the parliamentary secretary for special education could not appear before the House. Rass pointed out the quorum immediately after the speaker started the government business of the agenda. The House was adjourned for 20 minutes which lasted over 118 minutes and the House was adjourned for Friday 9am.

March 9

On Friday, no question was taken up as the department secretaries were not present in officer’s box of the assembly. However, a 15-minute adjournment by the speaker lasted over 56 minutes and the House was adjourned for Monday 2pm.

The House started on 10:11 am while the scheduled time was at 9am. After Tilawat and Naat, the speaker, in his opening remarks, said he came to know that department secretaries of forestry, wildlife and fisheries were not present in officer’s box and ordered their presence in 15 minutes. After that the speaker allowed minority MPA Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora to present the report of the standing committee on Anand Karaj Bill. The House was adjourned for Monday 2pm after the government failed to show the required number of legislators. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2018.