Sanaullah, Basra duke it out

The law minist­er skippe­d the part as to why the chief minist­er had relaxe­d rules for Basra.

Just when you thought the Punjab Assembly could get no more ridiculous, it just did. On Monday, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and PPP MPA Shaukat Basra ended in an ugly verbal tirade against one another.

Basra took the floor and laid the blame for the death due to the contaminated drugs administered at the Punjab Institute of Cardiology at the chief minister’s door. Sanaullah, de facto leader of the Treasury, in the absence of Shahbaz Sharif sprung into action and unleashed a volley of abuse.

Oddly enough, the law minister did not defend his boss’s performance. Instead, he related to the house the tale of the MPA applying for a medical grant from the chief minister.

Apparently, Basra had asked for $15,000 to take his sick son to India for medical treatment. If Sanaullah is to be believed, the MPA was on hands and knees till Sharif agreed.

The law minister, however, skipped the part as to why the chief minister had relaxed rules for Basra, overriding objections from officers concerned. Was Basra the first MPA to receive such a ‘favour’?

It is standard practice for MPAs to get grants for their medical treatments. PPP’s Nazim Hussain Shah reminded the house that he too had received money for his heart treatment from the medical entitlement.

The law minister, who was trying to put Basra in his place for speaking against his boss, also produced a torrent of abuse.

Sanaullah is a seasoned politician. However, he seemed unable to differentiate between political differences and personal animosity. His spats with the late Salmaan Taseer are the stuff of legends.

Basra for his part must surely know the difference between street language and the language fit for the house floor.

Maybe a primer on what one can say in a press conference or on TV as opposed to how to approach the house floor is indicated.

Our culture of tolerance is fast vanishing. Politicians must watch their words as they open their mouths.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2012.