LAHORE – The Punjab Assembly swiftly dissolved into chaos on Thursday after the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) attempted to present a resolution on the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) case.
Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that the PPP should not raise such issues as the people that believed the late Bhutto’s sentence was “judicial murder” also believed that the PPP always came to power in the name of ZAB and former premier Benazir Bhutto, and was now trying to secure another term the same way.
House proceedings were smoothly in progress when Opposition Leader Raja Riaz sought permission to move a resolution out of turn, and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah’s opposition to the demand resulted in furious arguments. Finally, Riaz was not allowed to table his resolution. The treasury ultimately succeeded in not allowing the house proceedings to continue for another day and finally the chair prorogued the house for an indefinite period of time.
The proceedings really heated up when Provincial Minister Chaudhry Ghafoor said the house should also hold a general discussion on the alleged corruption by Pakistan Muslim League-Q’s MPA Moonis Elahi and former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi, Jamia Hafsa, and Waziristan. He alleged that the “corrupt” PPP was even looting pilgrims, the Pakistan International Airlines and the Pakistan Steel Mills.
Ghafoor’s comments were met with ridicule and suggestions that he must have had a career in theatre in the past. Treasury members pointed out quorum three times but the PPP-led opposition managed to complete it and continued the house proceedings. The assembly proceedings began with a question hour on zakat, ushr and the Baitul Maal. Sanaullah and Riaz bickered for a while over allegations from the law minister that Riaz was “buttering up and flattering” the chief minister.
Riaz said that he merely respected the chief minister and never flattered him. Earlier, provincial ministers Malik Nadeem Kamran told the house that the government was seriously planning for legislation to stop the menace of dowry, and would present a bill on the issue presently.
