PA opposition demands Sanaullah apologise for 'shameless' comment
Sanaullah says he would not apologise for his behaviour during Monday's session.
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.
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.