PA opposition demands Sanaullah apologise for 'shameless' comment

Sanaullah says he would not apologise for his behaviour during Monday's session.


Abdul Manan January 31, 2012

LAHORE: For the second day in a row, the Punjab Assembly session was hit by disturbances as opposition and treasury members lashed out against each other on Tuesday.

Speaker of the Assembly Rana Muhammad Iqbal was forced to adjourn the proceedings till Friday after opposition members caused disturbance, demanding that Law Minister Sana Sanaullah Khan apologise for using derogatory language against them.

Sanaullah and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)’s Deputy Parliamentary Leader Shaukat Mehmood Basra had exchanged harsh words with each other during Monday’s session, and even spoke out against each others' leadership, which Deputy Speaker Rana Mashood Ahmad Khan had expunged from the proceedings.

Basra had called Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif ‘Qatil-e-Aala’, while Sanaullah had called the opposition shameless, and said that Basra had taken Rs1.3 million from the chief minister for his son’s treatment.

During negotiations on Monday, the deputy speaker had decided that members from both sides will watch the recording of the proceedings and see who initiated the harsh exchange so that they can tender an apology.

Tuesday’s session resumed at 12:15pm, at least two hours late from the scheduled time, as Speaker Iqbal tried to convince leaders of all political parties to calm down.

PPP senior leader and MPA Tanveer Ashraf Kaira, who attended the business advisory meeting, said that the recording of Monday’s proceeding was viewed in the chamber and it showed that the PML-N MPA Zaeem Hussain Qadri had used insulting words first.

After watching the recording, the opposition members asked the treasury members to apologise, to which they responded by saying that their criticism was not directed towards PPP leadership. When insisted further, the treasury members decided to boycott the meeting.

During Tuesday’s session, Leader of Opposition Raja Riaz along with other opposition members again chanted slogans against the Punjab government calling Shahbaz “Qatil-e-Aala”.

Riaz further stated that the opposition would not sit in the assembly until Sanaullah submits an apology for calling them “shameless”.

The speaker, after consultation with Sanaullah, adjourned the session for two days till Friday morning.

Sanaullah, while speaking to media said that he would not submit any apology. “Even Pervez Musharraf failed to make me bow down or seek his pardon during his eight years dictatorship,” he added. He further said that he had only disclosed facts about Basra.

COMMENTS (7)

Attif Abbas | 12 years ago | Reply

Do the PPP in punjab assembley has some brain.They are making fuss rathing than bringing some real political issues for the berrerment of Punjab.Learn some politics from PML-N opposition in NA.

Grace | 12 years ago | Reply

@Kashif Iqbal: I agree with you. That kind of language is inappropriate and shows his level of education. Everyone knows the CM is working to investigate the tragedy at PIC and the medicines. I am sure that he will nake sure that changes are enacted and that things will improve so that such an incident doesn't recur. There is a good reason why Punjab is the best run province and many attribute this to the efforts of Shahbaz Sharif. The people in the province want answers and improvement but they don't blame the CM. Other politicians are just trying to score points on a tragedy.

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