MPAs in verbal slugfest over govt performance

PML-N’s Iqbal Gujjar blames govt for wheat, sugar crises

LAHORE: The treasury and opposition lawmakers were at loggerheads over defending policies of their governments as performance of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) previous regime came into question in the Punjab Assembly on Monday.

However, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Syed Ali Haider Gillani, rejecting a secretariat being set up for south Punjab, demanded separate chief minister and speaker for the region.

It was the third day of general discussion on the annual budget 2020-21 presented by the provincial government.

The House proceedings started with a lapse of over an hour. Punjab Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari presided over the session.

PML-N’s lawmaker Chaudhry Iqbal Gujjar came down hard on government’s cuts on expenditure on the road infrastructure. He held the government responsible for the ongoing wheat and sugar crises, adding that it had completely failed to steer the country out from the current imbroglio.

He asked, “Where is the government today despite having been in power for two years?”

“Do not lash out at the opposition and show us what has been done and who has been served,” the MPA asserted.

Former speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan claimed that the Sri Lankan government was surprised to see dengue being controlled in Punjab within two months by former chief minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif. The Sri Lankan government could not control it even in two years, he claimed.

PPP’s Ali Haider Gillani said a promise was made in 2018 to establish south Punjab province within 100 days. “However, 600 days have passed and only the construction of the secretariat has started for south Punjab. We reject the secretariat and demand a separate chief minister and speaker. We want a share in the NFC award.”

PTI’s Neelum Hayat termed the budget as a draft of fresh air in present circumstances. “It is a budget of the common man who has been kept at bay from the sword of taxes.”

“What can we say about the development projects of the PML-N when they had even not prepared cards for transgender people. It is the PTI that gave identity to members of the transgender community and gave them basic rights.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2020.