Opposition blows hot and cold

Treasury lawmakers question inaccuracies in departmental replies

LAHORE:

Opposition lawmakers staged a boycott of Punjab Assembly after a heated exchange with Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Tuesday.

The friction arose as the speaker sought cooperation from the opposition to facilitate smooth house proceedings, prompting objections from the opposition benches.

Initially, opposition lawmakers appeared to support Speaker Muhammad Ahmad Khan's criticism of absent ministers, departmental secretaries and alleged incorrect responses from certain departments. However, tensions escalated when the speaker attempted to restrain opposition interventions during the session, leading to a confrontation.

Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar responded to the finance minister's challenge of providing evidence of election rigging, asserting their readiness to present substantial evidence.

Speaker Khan, while offering assistance to the opposition in pursuing legal avenues, faced interruptions from opposition lawmakers, who protested against being dictated to.

As the atmosphere grew tense, Speaker Khan suggested that the opposition could boycott the session if they wished, prompting their departure from the house. However, they were persuaded to return by treasury members after a brief absence.

During the question hour session, the treasury benches faced embarrassment when their own lawmakers questioned ministers over inaccurate replies provided by departments.

Speaker Khan expressed dismay over the submission of incorrect information and appointed a committee to investigate the matter.

A PML-N lawmaker raised concerns about discrepancies in salary payments, highlighting a violation of government wage policies.

Speaker Khan also criticised the absence of the minister for industries, commerce, and investment, adjourning the house briefly and directing the government to ensure the minister's presence.

Despite efforts to resume proceedings, disruptions continued, particularly during replies to questions by Minister Shafay Hussain.

Opposition members proposed amendments to the question-hour format, which were unanimously approved by the house before adjourning the session to reconvene on Wednesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2024.