PA speaker takes overzealous MP to task

Tempers were seen flying in the Punjab Assembly on Friday when Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal ordered the security staff to “kick out” a PML-N member, who got out of control while speaking on the budget.

However, before the assembly’s security staff could implement the speaker’s order, the rowdy MPA calmed down and sat quietly among other treasury members.

It all started when the speaker asked PML-N MPA Tariq Masih Gill to speak on the budget. He started talking nonstop but the problem was that instead of speaking on the budget, he took it upon himself to tell the House about the good work that had been done by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in the past and what he intended to do in the future.

To the rescue of the MPs came PTI member Aslam Iqbal. He stood up on a point of order and reminded the speaker that “the honourable member of the assembly had already exceeded his time limit but had still not said a word about the budget”.

“We can praise the chief minister some other time. Right now the people, who sent us to the assemblies, want us to examine the budget and not shower praises on the leadership,” he said.

However, Iqbal’s advice did not bode well with the PML-N women members, who started shouting at PTI members.

Waheed Gul, a PML-N MPA, found it a good opportunity to make some political points. Without seeking the speaker’s permission, he started his outbursts at the PTI members, and did not even listen to the speaker. Finally the speaker had to intervene and order Gul’s expulsion from the House.

Budget for South Punjab:

Taking part in the budget debate, PPP member from South Punjab Shahabuddin said his region should have been allocated Rs 140 billion in the budget given its population. “But what we got is Rs 93 billion,” he said, hoping that the provincial government would make amends for this injustice.