June 15, 2006	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 18, 1427

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LAHORE, June 14: Opposition members on Wednesday walked out of the house, boycotting budget speech of the finance minister to protest “breach of the privilege of the house by leak of financial statement figures by the leader of the house in a pre-budget press conference”.

Opposition leader Qasim Zia, speaking on a point of order as proceedings of the house started immediately after recitation from the holy Quran, announced that they would move a privilege motion against this breach.

“All budget (statistics) have been published by the press as no one but the chief minister himself has given the figures to the media in his press conference,” Zia regretted.

Ironically, the leak occurred even before the provincial cabinet approved the budget, he said. “How much the sanctity of the house has remained intact (after this act of the CM)?” he asked, seeking ruling of speaker Afzal Sahi on this breach of the privilege.

Pervaiz Elahi, amid thumping of desks by treasury members, defended his step by saying that as the only secrecy in the budget document was about new taxation measures and as he had not dilated upon this subject in his press conference so there was no question of breach of privilege of the house.

Mr Sahi, accepting the point that budget figures should be first disclosed in the house, urged the opposition to listen to the budget speech for confirming whether the statistics were leaked out of the house.

However, it did not convince the opposition MPAs, and they walked out of the house.

The speaker asked ministers Basharat Raja and Manazir Ranjha to negotiate with the opposition members and bring them back.

Earlier, journalists boycotted the house proceedings and walked out of the Press Gallery to protest torture and abuse of a photographer and two reporters of a news agency by some government functionaries in Alflah Building.

They ended their boycott after holding talks with Raja Basharat and Akbar Niwani who assured action against the officials responsible within 24 hours.