Opposition and treasury run parallel assemblies

One took place inside house and the other in Punjab Assembly compound

LAHORE: As the opposition delivered fiery speeches against the PTI government and speaker Chaudhary Pervez Elahi’s in “mock” proceedings outside the house, inside the finance minister seemed to conclude the Punjab Assembly’s discussion on the annual budget for the year 2018-19.

He also took the time out to say that PML-N could neither rule properly nor prove itself to be a good opposition.

The legislators of the treasury and opposition benches seemed to be conducting two parallel houses at the Punjab Assembly. The treasury lawmakers, sitting inside the house, were presided over by PA Speaker Chaudhary Pervez Elahi. On the other hand, the opposition held mock proceedings in the compound and these were chaired by former speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan.

Minister for Finance Makhdum Hashim Jawan Bakht, after holding five sessions of discussion on the annual budget, concluded the matter through a speech which was delivered in the absence of the opposition MPAs. The opposition boycotted proceedings after six of its legislators were banned by the speaker for allegedly created destruction and carnage in the house on October 16.

Bakht, in his speech, said he had already made it clear that this budget was not a reflection of the common people’s expectations, but of the previous government’s irregularities, poor fiscal management and wrong priorities.

However, he seemed optimistic that PTI could pave the way for a new Punjab and a bright future. He pointed to the local government system, saying there was no example in history in which the grassroots were given such powers.  “The new local government system will be based on a real service delivery mechanism. Planning and development will be outcome oriented in future and everyone will see the results on the grassroots level,” he said.

He added that this government was taking only talking about south Punjab and the “95 percent” living in Attock, but the whole province. “We will bring improvement in regional equalization in our policies. We set a direction through this budget”. He added that Pakistan had again slipped further down in the Human Development Index and stood in 150th place in the latest edition. “It is unfortunate that Pakistani social scientists developed this index system, but we failed to benefit from this tool.”

He appreciated treasury legislators, who according to him, talked about common people rather than individual issues. He assured the house that the suggestions of legislators would be given due importance in the upcoming pre-budget session.

As proceedings kicked off, six PMLNs MPAs, wearing black armbands, took oath and then left the house. Later, on a motion of law minister Raja Basharat, the house approved Special Committee-II which would probe development projects, which were initiated in PML-Q’s tenure, but not completed by the subsequent PML-N government and facing an escalation in cost as a result. The committee was tasked with pinning responsibility on those who caused a loss to the national exchequer by stalling or sidelining these projects.

The committee included 12 MPAs, including PML-N’s Ghulam Qasim Hanjra, one from PPP, two from PML-Q, while the rest belonged to PTI. Law minister Raja Basharat, minister for public prosecution Chaudhary Zahiruddin, finance minister Makhdum Hashim Jawan Bakht and others were the members.

Nine MPAs of PTI and PPP delivered speeches over the annual budget discussion. They demanded health, education, clean drinking water and other basic facilities in their areas. The house was adjourned till 11am on October 25.

On the other hand, the opposition created a “mock” house in the compound of the assembly where PML-N’s lawmakers delivered fiery speeches against the arrest of former CM Shehbaz, the ban on the entry of their six MPAs and the demolition of housing for the poor.

Opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif refused to accept the committee formed to probe the carnage on October 16. He made it clear that the two nominated PML-N members would not be the part of that committee.

He said the speaker staged the entire episode and then put the onus on PML-N.  Hamza added the country’s top court issued remarks over NAB’s humiliation of people. He asked which glasses the accountability watchdog needed to see the NICL and Punjab Bank scams of Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and initiate proceedings against him.