Verbal slugfest mars Punjab PA session

PML-N, PTI lawmakers bicker over Elahi’s trust vote

LAHORE:

The Punjab Assembly on Tuesday witnessed a ruckus as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle engaged in a verbal slugfest over the issue of vote of confidence to be taken from Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which is in power in the province, sought to dissolve the provincial assembly in order to force the federal government to call early elections while the ruling PML-N countered the move through Governor Balighur Rehman, who directed CM Elahi to take a trust vote.

However, Elahi was de-notified by Governor Rehman as the CM for not taking the vote of confidence. The PTI approached the Lahore High Court which reinstated Elahi on the assurance that he would not dissolve the provincial assembly until the next hearing – Jan 11 (Wednesday).

It was the second consecutive day where the top PML-N leadership was present in assembly working on different political options and ensuring maximum presence of its lawmakers to tackle the situation if the PTI suspended the rules regarding the vote of confidence.

As the house proceedings commenced under with Speaker Sibtain Khan in the chair, both the PTI and the PML-N lawmakers were at loggerheads over seeking a point of order from the speaker.

As PML-N Khalil Tahir Sindhu snubbed a PTI lawmaker for interrupting him continuously, lawmakers from both the benches stood up and started lambasting each other.

MPA Sindhu said their members were in majority in the previous sitting (January 9) but even then the government ignored their voice while passing the legislation.
Former PML-N speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan also expressed his concern on the issue.

PML-N’s Rana Mashhood Khan challenged the PTI to take a vote of confidence if it had the required numbers.

Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Muhammad Basharat Raja said, “The process of voting is not new for the PTI which is evident from Pervaiz Elahi becoming the chief minister, Sibtain speaker and Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi deputy speaker.

“So this time, the PTI is also ready and just waiting for the court’s order.”
The PML-N lawmakers became aggressive when PTI’s Zaheer Abbas Khokhar came down hard on the presence of Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah in the guest gallery.

Addressing Sanaullah, Khokar asked, “In which capacity are you sitting in the guest gallery.”

He claimed that the PML-N had to answer for journalist Arshad Sharif’s murder, Model Town massacre and May 25 (stopping the PTI rally with the use of police force).

In protest, Khokhar staged a walk out from the assembly.

Provincial Minister Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed said, “Sanaullah is here merely to destabilise the provincial government but the PTI will foil every move in the same way the PML-N’s 20 ‘lotas’ lost the by-elections in Punjab.”

After a short prayer break, the house resumed the proceedings wherein Deputy Speaker Abbasi adjourned it till Jan 11 at 3pm.

Ahead of proceedings

Where the PML-N’s lawmakers grilled the PTI, creating a ruckus in the assembly over not taking a vote of confidence, they also seemed scuffling with the security staff.

Attaullah Tarar’s squad was not allowed to enter into the assembly premises owing to the huge number of vehicles, which resulted in a scuffle with the security staff.

Tarar left his personal vehicle and squad at the main gate of the assembly and went towards the assembly from where he sent his party’s MPAs to bring his vehicles inside the assembly premises.

The MPAs used abusive language as well as manhandled the security staff and took the vehicles inside the assembly premises.

The PML-N claimed that the order was passed by Chief Minister Elahi who wanted to make the Punjab Assembly a “no-go area” over fears of losing his chief ministership.

Sanaullah cursed at

As Sanaullah was leaving the assembly premises after attending the proceedings, a man, who stated to be the driver of the PTI’s provincial minister, threw his shoe at the interior minister’s vehicle which hit the windscreen. He also chanted “chor, chor (thief, thief)” as a result of which the PML-N MPAs caught him and thrashed him. However, the security staff intervened and caught him.

Parliamentary party meeting

The PML-N in its parliamentary party meeting directed the MPAs to attend today’s (Jan 11) proceedings of the LHC larger bench hearing Chief Minister Elahi’s plea challenging the governor’s orders.
The lawmakers were also strictly directed to remain in Lahore until the vote of confidence matter was resolved.