With quorum remaining the highlight of the session, the Punjab Assembly on Monday could hardly sit and talk for half an hour and no serious agenda could be taken up.
The session, as usual, started an hour and fifteen minutes late with Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal in the chair. After the recitation of the Holy Quran and naat, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) members demanded of the speaker to take action against Punjab government for not providing the Opposition with funds. PPP MPA Zulfiqar Gondal said the Punjab government had dishonoured the orders of the speaker.
“Mr Speaker, we want your respect and dignity by the provincial government, which is not following your orders and is disgracing you,” Gondal said adding that the PPP MPAs were being totally ignored by the Takht-e-Lahore and funds were only being issued to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members in order to gain vote for next elections. PPP MPAs also shouted slogans in favour of Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal, ‘Speaker Teray Jaan Nisaar Beshumar Beshumar.’ They also chanted slogans against Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif ‘Kaatlay Ala’ saying that Punjab CM is responsible for the deaths occurring in Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) due to sub-standard medicines.
PML-Q MPA Dr Samia Amjad tried to discuss the issue of fake medicines in PIC but the speaker did not allow her to do so. In the meantime, PPP legislators walked out of the House to protest against the quorum issue. The quorum could not be established and hence the proceedings were adjourned for Tuesday.
