27 members denied entry into assembly: Punjab PA session prorogued
By Our Staff Reporter
LAHORE, May 30: The deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly on Friday rejected the combined opposition’s plea to withdraw the order barring 27 PPP and PML-N MPAs from attending proceedings of the eighth session of the assembly.
Speaker Afzal Sahi had barred the MPAs, including opposition leader Qasim Zia and deputy leader Rana Sanaullah Khan, under rule 210 of the rules of procedures of the provincial assembly for hampering and obstructing proceedings of the house on Monday. Since the imposition of the bar, none of these MPAs has been allowed by police to even enter the assembly building.
The opposition had demanded that the speaker should withdraw his order and allow their leaders and colleagues to participate in proceedings of the assembly.
As the proceedings got under way on the last day of the session, deputy speaker Shaukat Mazari asked the opposition to “sit across the table with the provincial law minister to settle the issue and let the house transact the day’s business”.
The same suggestion was made by Law Minister Basharat Raja as a precondition to any talks with the opposition on this issue. “The opposition is not serious about letting the assembly transact its business. But we (the treasury benches) are determined to conduct the day’s business. If the opposition is serious, it should allow the proceedings to go on unhindered and name their members to sit with us for finding a way out of this situation,” he said.
However, the combined opposition did not agree to the proposal, demanding that the proceedings should be adjourned before talks were held.
“We cannot agree to this suggestion. Parliamentary history is replete with instances that the proceedings (of the house) are adjourned to make way for talks. The minister must show maturity. How can we negotiate a solution (with the government) unless our leaders are not brought back to the assembly?,” acting opposition leader Nazim Hussain Shah said.
MMA leader Asghar Gujjar, who warned the treasury benches that the government would be responsible for any harm to the assembly, said the opposition was prepared to agree with the deputy speaker provided all the MPAs, Qasim Zia, were allowed safe passage at least to the opposition’s chambers. “The way the government has handled the whole issue and reacted to the opposition’s protest is un-understandable. They have blown the issue out of proportion.”
However, another opposition MPA, Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, pointed out that there was no need for government-opposition talks on the issue. “The order barring our MPAs from attending the session was given by the speaker and the chair has to withdraw it.”
The deputy speaker insisted that his proposal should be accepted by the opposition without any preconditions.
“I urge you to show open-heartedness so that this issue is resolved right away,” he said, and began conducting the day’s business following rejection by the opposition of his suggestion.
While the treasury benches went ahead with the business of the day, the opposition continued raising anti-government slogans and to protest against the police action against their colleagues till the session was prorogued sine die.
