The Punjab Assembly during its session on Monday adopted a record number of legislation amid Opposition’s strong protest over not taking vote of confidence and “running the proceedings of the House illegally” on a plea that the court had only restored the Chief Minister of Punjab, Pervaiz Elahi, but not his cabinet.
Although the PML-N termed the House proceedings illegal, it, nevertheless, did not boycott the proceedings.
The Speaker, Muhammad Sibtain Khan, clarified PML-N leader Rana Mashhood Khan’s stance by saying that the court had not only reinstated Elahi but also his cabinet.
As the House proceedings started, so did the fireworks as the PML-N lawmakers embarked on creating a ruckus in the House apparently to catch attention of some of the PML-N stalwarts who happened to be sitting in the Visitor’s Gallery.
To flare up the temperature in the House, they left their chairs and walked up to the Speaker’s rostrum in a bit to create a pandemonium to halt the assembly’s business. However, the Opposition’s attempt fell flat as the government successfully managed to sail 21 Bills through.
The session on Monday resembled the atmosphere that is usually witnessed during a budget session.
The Opposition lawmakers tore the copies of the agenda and threw the torn pages at the Speaker as well as at the treasury benches.
Both the PTI and the PML-N’s lawmakers remained at loggerheads over defending each other.
The atmosphere turned ugly when PTI lawmakers lambasted PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah, who also happened to be present in the Visitor’s Gallery observing assembly proceedings, saying that “he is an accused of the Model Town massacre”, and that it astonished them that he was present in the assembly premises.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2023.
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