The Punjab Assembly yet again plunged into chaos over the issue of deaths by spurious drugs in the province and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s ignorance of the health sector. The Opposition also said the number of people who had died in drone attacks was less than the number of people who had died in province due to dengue and spurious drugs. However, the war between the Opposition and Treasury members took a personal turn during a hot debate between Pakistan People’s Party member Shaukat Basra and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan. Both leaders passed ‘below the belt’ remarks about each other and Deputy Speaker Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan had to expunge those remarks from the assembly proceedings.
Basra attacked the CM for being ‘Katal-e-Ala’ (chief killer) in the recent episode of spurious drugs. He was also of the view that the CM was enjoying absolute powers by keeping all ministries and was also ignoring the House. “Punjab CM could hold the cabinet meeting all alone by just closing the doors of his house since he is the minister for all the ministries and the CM,” Basra said.
He said those involved in killing innocent people due to spurious drugs should be hanged in Regal Chowk. He alleged that Punjab government was trying to find scapegoats by suspending doctors of Punjab Institute of Cardiology. “Dr Faisal Masood has been suspended only because he spoke the truth, which did not please the provincial government,” he added.
Sana came hard on Basra and said, “The Opposition instead of giving proposals for coping with the issue is trying to politicise it and is playing a role of devil by distorting the truth but I would like to say that the evil should be nipped in the bud,” Sana said adding that the senior doctors were suspended only because they were heading the PIC and they had tried to hide the facts from the government. “The matter came into the knowledge of PIC administration on January 11 and they decided to hold a press conference over it but later they tried to hide the facts and kept the government in the dark,” the law minister said, adding that the Opposition had not provided a single constructive feedback during the entire debacle.
The Opposition then stared raising slogans of ‘Jhuta (liar)’ for the law ninister. PML-Q leader Chaudhry Zaheer ud Din said that it had been decided that Parliamentary Secretary for Health Dr Saeed Elahi would brief the House but there were no such signs, to which Sana said the House had been briefed on Friday.
While criticising the centralisation of power by the Punjab CM, PPP member Nazim Hussain Shah said democracy was the name of giving power to others. Once again Basra came hard on Punjab CM terming him the ‘chief killer’. “We would keep putting pressure on the Punjab CM until he surrenders the additional ministries and also come to the House.”
Sana then made some personal offensive remarks about Basra which were expunged from the record. Basra also came harsh and passed below the belt remarks for the law minister and then the Opposition and the Treasury benches started shouting at each other. The speaker then adjourned the house for ten minutes.
PPP member Ashraf Sohna sought an apology from the law minister, who said if the Opposition took it words back about the CM then he was ready to apologise.
Sana said it was not the Opposition’s right to get aid from the government. “I have just spoken the truth that Shaukat Basra got special aid from Punjab CM worth $15,000 for the treatment of his son.” He said the PPP had not kept its word of not criticising the party’s leadership.
The House was adjourned and it was decided that the matter would be solved on Tuesday.
