LAHORE, May 29: The arrests of opposition MPAs, protests by their spared colleagues and the boycott by journalists cornered the government on Thursday as it could not smoothly run the affairs of the house despite determination to do so.

The session which the reporters did not cover as a mark of protest against their torture by police on Wednesday, began two hours and 20 minutes late. And the government could not continue it for more than an hour.

Speaker Afzal Sahi first budged to the few opposition MPAs’ demand of negotiating on the issue of the arrests of their colleagues outside the assembly and adjourned the proceedings for 10 minutes, only 25 minutes after it began at 11.20am.

The session resumed after the interval without any agreement between the two sides but opposition made the sailing for the Speaker difficult. The rumpus that followed forced adjournment of the session for Friday morning in only 35 minutes.

The treasury MPAs who had easily passed the Punjab Agriculture Income Tax Amendment Bill, 2003, in the absence of opposition on Wednesday also appeared to be perturbed over the happenings in and outside the assembly.

Women MPAs on the treasury benches were quiet and worried over the outcome of the events taking place outside the assembly for the three consecutive days.

They remained confined to the house, the attached lobby or foyer in front of the first floor chambers of the speaker and the chief minister, apparently to avoid the opposition and reporters.

Law Minister Basharat Raja, acting as the team leader in the absence of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, looked perturbed after the session was over, blaming the speaker for the arrests of the opposition MPAs when asked by reporters who was responsible for this.

“I am the law minister, having nothing to do with the law and order. Everything is being done on the orders of the speaker and why you continue to ask me questions when I have time and again explained my position,” he told reporters.

Speaker Sahi avoided reporters and went straight to his chambers for a meeting with the law minister and others.

In the house, he clarified his position regarding the repeated arrests of the opposition MPAs when PPP’s Syed Nazim Shah and MMA’s Asghar Ali Gujjar asked him to permit the barred colleagues, including opposition leader Qasim Zia, enter the assembly.

Mr Shah and Mr Gujjar stated that the opposition wanted to run the assembly with full honour. “Kindly have a dialogue with us for the amicable resolution of the issue,” they reportedly pleaded.

Speaker Sahi said he had been lenient with the opposition but, as a custodian of the house, had full authority to invoke all rules for maintaining its decorum.

He said he had taken all the sides along during the eight sessions of the assembly, never talking ill against any opposition leader or their parties. “I have been even accused of giving more time to the opposition MPAs than to the ministers,” he was quoted as saying.

After the 10-minute interval, he began the question hour in Wednesday’s speedy fashion but the arrival of the opposition MPAs blocked the proceedings. PPP MPA Nishat Afza threw bangles towards Basharat Raja amidst loud protests and anti-LFO slogans.

Many PML-Q MPAs felt the absence of reporters in the press gallery and urged the speaker to send someone to request them (reporters) start covering the proceedings.