LAHORE – The Punjab Assembly’s (PA) 22nd session will begin today (Friday) amid tight security arrangements with Deputy Speaker Rana Mashood in the chair. The speaker had directed strict security arrangements in light of intelligence reports warning that holding evening sessions could create security issues, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Special lights would also be displayed all around the building for countering security threats. The session’s first day would start at 3pm and question hour relating to the Punjab transport and tourism departments would take place and the deputy speaker would also announce names for the chairman panel before the question hour.
The government also plans to table the Punjab Public Service Commission’s annual report 2009 during the proceedings. Besides the question hour and government business, privilege motions, adjournment motions and call attention notices would also be part of the agenda. The present session would continue for over 20 days in order to meet the constitutional requirement of 100 days, which is short by 45 days.
The PA had worked for 55 days during its previous 21 sessions. The remaining 45 days are supposed to be completed before April 9, 2011. Before passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, an assembly was supposed to meet for at least 70 days in a parliamentary year but now the constitutional obligation for an assembly to hold sessions has been increased to 100 days.
After this session, the assembly would meet again most probably in March that would be purely a pre-budget session in which all elected members would submit their suggestions relating to the budget 2011-12. This would be the first PA session,
which would seek proposals and suggestions from legislators. The pre-budget session was a demand of both the treasury and opposition benches to dispel the impression that only the bureaucracy made the budget in which, parliamentarians could not contribute comprehensively. Before the house proceedings, the business advisory meeting would also be held with Mashood in the chair to discuss and finalise issues relating to the house business. The parliamentary meeting of all political parties would also take place to finalise their strategies for the upcoming session.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) might observe a full or partial boycott of the house proceedings to protest against the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) raid on PML-Q MPA Chaudhry Moonis Elahi’s office at Garden Town terming it a conspiracy against its top leadership. But the final decision would be taken in the PML-Q’s parliamentary meeting. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told journalists that the Punjab government wanted important legislation to take place besides the routine business of the house. Journalists have also been requested to display their accreditation cards issued by the PA.
