Punjab Assembly approves finance bill

Opposition denied opportunity to seek pay-raise for govt employees

LAHORE: The provincial assembly on Friday passed with majority The Punjab Finance Bill 2020, ignoring a proposal of the opposition to increase salaries of government officials.

The opposition protested over the inclusion in the agenda of some government bills, saying they should not have been presented in the budget session. Only the finance bill should have been discussed, opposition members said.

Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar also attended the proceedings.

Opposition members created pandemonium as treasury lawmakers started presenting government business items seeking extension of some ordinances.

The opposition legislators sought permission from the speaker to speak on the finance bill to support their demand for increasing the salaries of government officials. However, they were not given an opportunity to speak. They chanted slogans against the government but the treasury members managed to get their legislative business approved.

Finally, the opposition boycotted the session over not getting the opportunity to speak.

The duration of The Punjab Prevention of Hoarding Ordinance 2020, The Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Regulation) (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 and The Code of Civil Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Ordinance 2020 was extended by the assembly.

It passed the Kohsar University Muree Bill 2020, Baba Gurunanak University Nanakana Sahib Bill, Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Bill and Punjab Village Panchayats and Neighbouring Councils (Amendment) Bill 2020.

The Punjab Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on writing and speaking the words “Khaatimun Nabiyeen” with the name of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The mover of the resolution was PTI’s Neelum Ashraf.

Outside the House, PML-N lawmakers delivered fiery speeches against the government.

They claimed the government should have only brought The Punjab Finance Bill on agenda of the assembly rather than other government business (Bills etc.).

Published in The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2020.