The joint opposition in the Punjab Assembly (PA) joined hands against the increase in petroleum prices and staged a walkout from the assembly in a protest against being disallowed to table the anti-price hike resolution in the House.
The opposition held the viewpoint that if they could not represent the feelings of the masses, they had no right to sit in the PA. Under the leadership of Mian Mehmood-ur-Rashid, the opposition staged a token walkout before returning after fifteen minutes.
Earlier on Monday, the combined opposition submitted a resolution in the PA’s secretariat calling the federal government to take back the prices increase. As soon as the session started, before the question hour’s commencement, on a point of order, Rashid sought permission from the speaker to present a resolution against the recent petroleum price increase. He said that the fresh increase in petroleum prices had further squeezed blood from the veins of the masses who had already been overburdened with previous price increases.
Rashid sought the speaker’s approval to present the said resolution but the Speaker Rana Iqbal refused to allow him by taking a plea that he did not receive copy of the resolution, and added that Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah was not present in the PA and the matter should be pended until his availability.
Meanwhile, PPP Lawmaker Faiza Malik said that if the PA’s proceedings could continue in Sana’s absence, the resolution could be adopted that very day. Likewise, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)’s Dr Waseem Akhtar ensured the Speaker that none of the PA members including the opposition would have any objection, hence permission to present the resolution in the PA must be granted.
Opposition Member Sardar Shahab Uddin insisted on the permission to present the said resolution and added that apart from Sana, the other ministers were present in the PA to represent the government and thus permission must be given.
Upon this Iqbal said that any legal problem could erupt thus no permission would be granted to present the resolution. To this, Rashid said that in case of any problems, the resolution would be rejected and that they were ready to have treasury votes against the resolution. Arif Abbasi then stood up and said that the opposition members must be given the right to speak as they had come to the PA to defend public rights. The speaker’s humdrum stance infuriated the opposition and they walked out of the PA.
Later, the Speaker sent treasury members Mansha Ullah Butt and Colonel (r) Shuja Khanzada to bring back the opposition. The treasury members succeeded within 15 minutes and the opposition ended its boycott and returned to the PA.
CARRION MEAT SUPPLIED:
The PA session started two hours later than its scheduled time at 3pm. Eleven newly elected MPAs took oath and included PMLN’s Ch Sarfraz Afzal, Azad Ali Tabassam, Ch Akhtar Abbas Bosal, Kh Manshaullah Butt, Kh Salman Rafiq, Ch Gulzar Ahmad, Rana Babar Hussain, PPP’s Makhdoom Syed Ali Akbar Mehmood, and PTIs Ahmad Ali Dareshak, and Ali Raza Dareshak.
During the question hour, Bilal Yasin responding to a question from Ayesha Javaid told the PA that there were 22 livestock testing farms working on an experiment basis. To another question from treasury members including Rahila Khadim Hussain, Dr Farzana Nazir, Main Rafique and Alim Shah, about the carrion meat being supplied to the city, a hot pursuit occurred and treasury members raised supplementary questions in which they alleged that the animals were not slaughtered in a Halal way. Farzana said that that a chemical was being used in slaughter houses to preserve the meat for longer time, adding that this was causing breast cancer among women.
FLAT RATES FOR TUBEWELLS SOON:
During the debate on the wheat support price issue, the agriculture minister told the PA that the Punjab government had devised a mechanism to introduce ‘flat-rates’ for tube wells to resolve one of the major problems of grain growers across the province, adding that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif would soon announce the package.
Dr Farrukh Javed told the PA that his government would fight for the right of the province in the federal government with full strength following the suggestions of the legislators. He also informed the PA that his government had allocated funds of Rs 4.5 billion for wheat support price subsidy during the current fiscal year.
Speaking on issue, Food Minister Bilal Yasin confirmed that the PML- N government would consider all suggestions presented by the assembly members in the general debate as well as the suggestions to visit India.
