Opposition disparages ‘budget session’

Amid confusion over two parallel sessions of Punjab Assembly held the previous day, Speaker Pervaiz Elahi presided over the proceedings attended by members from the opposition benches on Thursday.

The treasury’s benches were vacant and the officials' gallery was also presenting a deserted look. The PTI lawmakers, following the assembly agenda, kicked off general discussion on the "constitutional crisis, inflation and law & order situation”. Former law minister Basharat Raja said there was no doubt that the province was passing through a constitutional crisis.

He said the institutions which had a constitutional status were being hit now.

"We do not accept the fake chief minister, fake assembly set up at Aiwan-e-Iqbal and the fake budget at any cost," he said. The former minister alleged that the PML-N had deliberately deprived the opposition of its right to take part in the process of budget presentation.

He assured the house of taking to the courts the manner in which the ongoing assembly session was prorogued and then summoned at the other building, as well ad a notification that shrunk the powers of the legislature and placed it under the law department.

He lamented the conduct of the sergeant at arms in lodging an FIR against lawmakers on April 16 and giving a statement before the police that Raja was also involved in thrashing the police.

“I am ready to face the music if any footage or other evidence is available to prove my involvement in such an act," the former minister said.

MPA Malik Nadeem Bara said Usman Buzdar was exercising his powers as chief minister on April 16, then who was behind sending the police contingent into the assembly chamber? Everyone knew it was the “Khalai Makhlooq”, he remarked.

As he uttered these words, the speaker stopped him and emphasised that he should talk about political people.

However, another MPA from the party, Shaukat Ali Lalika, invited all institutions to come forward to put the country on the right track. “I invite all institutions to come and protect the country and its democracy,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2022.