Punjab Assembly approves supplementary budget

Harsh words are exchanged after a legislator targets Imran Khan

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly witnessed pandemonium when the provincial government approved Rs.85.40billion supplementary budget for 2017-18 by accepting all demands for grants by the treasury and rejecting cut motions of the opposition.

Derogatory language was used when Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Umar Farooq targeted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) chief Imran Khan claiming that there are separate places for dancing and drinking in his House.

Opposition leader Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed strongly reacted to Farooq’s words and demanded the Speaker to ask him to either tender an apology or take his words back.

Later the atmosphere turned nasty and mild scuffle ensued between Opposition and Treasury MPAs when PML-N’s Minister for Primary & Secondary Health Khawaja Imran Nazeer intimated his party MPA Tariq Masih Gill that PTI’s Muhammad Arif Abbasi used derogatory language against him.

Later, Farooq and Abbasi tendered apology in the House. On the direction of Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan, the angry minority MPAs were brought back to the House who had earlier walked out from the House.

The opposition, during the general discussion on supplementary budget, opposed the extra expenses made by the government. Opposition leader Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed vowed to knock the doors of NAB and Election Commission over Rs.8.50billion expenses in NA-120 constituency where former prime minister’s wife won the by-election.

More than Rs10million had been spent on dolphin, mohafaz, elite, rangers and other squads deputed at Jati Umrah while more than Rs120million had been spent on helicopter’s rent. Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Khawaja Haris had been given Rs55 lakh for fighting intra-court appeal. More than Rs1billion had been spent on the orange line train while more than Rs510million had been spent for plants for orange line train.

“No doubt the country is moving towards progress but we should not ignore the progress in corruption, price hike and exploitation of farmers which is seen in the province,” Rafique said.

Finance Minister Aisha Ghaus Pasha responding to opposition legislators said that their supplementary budget is 4.3 per cent which was spent on education, health, law and order and other needs of the masses. She added that the opposition leader quoted a research book which claims K-P growth rate is higher than other provinces.

However, she highlighted that the opposition leader forgot the same research which also claims that the per head income increased in Punjab as compared to other provinces. She also quoted Human Development Report which says that Punjab is in better position in education and health than other provinces.

Later a resolution, taken up out of turn, was unanimously passed paying tribute to those martyred in Balochistan. When the provincial law minister presented another resolution, out of turn relating to the performance of government in five years, the opposition legislators walked out of the House in protest. The opposition protested that their resolutions are not being taken up and benefit is only being given to the treasury.

Sana Ullah in his resolution also condemned a specific lobby which is launching negative campaign against their popular leader. He said this House has complete confidence over the five years performance of the Punjab. Later, the deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani prorogued the House for indefinite period.