After a two day break, the Punjab Assembly (PA) session resumed once again with chaos ruling the proceedings as usual. Members remained intent on spreading disorder from the onset of the session, whereas the agenda of the day was to discuss the debacle of spurious drugs in Punjab. The opposition raised slogans against Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif and the treasury benches criticised President Asif Ali Zardari openly. Once again, the session was adjourned with any significant developments.
Anarchy in the PA: The PA session started with a delay of almost two hours under Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal. Opposition Leader Riaz Ahmed said the Punjab CM in his press conference had said that a highly influential person in Islamabad was responsible for 800 deaths due to dengue.
“If the CM knows that person’s name, he must register a case against him,” he said, adding that the House should be informed of the perpetrator’s name.
Agitated, the speaker tried to stop Ahmed but the latter refused, saying: “Two days ago, you stopped us from speaking. If you try to do it again, we will not let proceedings continue.”
“I only requested for order in the last session and I ask for the same again,” the speaker said. “You can do whatever you like,” he added. Raja Riaz interjected, “If anyone thinks assembly proceedings can continue with force, they are wrong.”
“Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah refuses to ask his leader, Shahbaz Sharif, to apologise. Let me inform him that his leader, Nawaz Sharif, sought an apology from my leader, Asif Zardari,” Raja Riaz said with a smile. He said that the CM had “escaped from the house and should be recovered”. “The CM should come to the House and take opposition in confidence. We are ready to cooperate,” he added.
It prompted the treasury benches to raise anti-Zardari slogans such as “Sala Mara, Bv mari, Asif Zardari’ (killed his brother in law and wife, Zardari); ‘Ruj k khao, Ruj k Luto, Jeay Bhutto’. In retaliation, the opposition said ‘Katlay Ala, Wazir e Ala’ and ‘Wanted CM’.
Heated exchanges between the opposition and ruling assembly members disrupted the session, with each side demanding apologies for insulting their respective leaders, and heaving slogans at each other.
CM summoned to PA: After failing to maintain order, the speaker decided to adjourn the session for ten minutes. He informed the house that only talks on the PIC deaths issue would be permitted. Rana Sana Ullah Khan assured the house that the CM would come himself to brief the opposition on the issue.
PPP Member Zulfiqar Gondal stated that the CM was harassing doctors by suspending them and had no knowledge of running the affairs of the Health Ministry. He said the CM had appointed an inexperienced junior officer as secretary of the department, which was causing problems. He added that the Audit General’s report on drug purchases had disclosed millions of rupees of irregularities in Punjab. The session was adjourned till Monday.
