Attendance details of Punjab MPAs sought

Attendance details of lawmakers who visit the Punjab Assembly merely to mark their attendance rather than joining the proceedings were sought by the Panel of Chairmen on Tuesday.

The matter was brought to the notice of the chair by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja after the PML-N allegedly violated a commitment with the government that quorum would not be pointed out during the question answer sessions and the private member’s days.

As the proceedings started, the PML-N pointed out the quorum, at which the government managed the required attendance to run the house.

But the PML-N members objected that the required number of PTI’s lawmakers were not present and the issue of quorum raised by them had not been entertained as per the assembly rules.

There were questions by opposition members on the assembly agenda and it was astonishing that the opposition itself did not want the assembly proceedings to continue, said Mian Muhammad Shafi from the Panel of Chairmen.

Minister Basharat Raja said, “The PML-N is expert in looting the national exchequer but the PTI will not let them succeed .” He said 53 PML-N lawmakers had marked their attendance but only eight of them had attended the proceedings. The Punjab Assembly does not pay them for sitting in the cafeteria, gossiping and taking tee, he added.

The minister proposed that the house stop all privileges of lawmakers who did not join the proceedings. The Panel of Chairman sought the attendance details of lawmakers from both the treasury and opposition benches in the next session. The questions were put off but some bills were passed by the assembly