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| March 14, 2007 | Wednesday | Safar 24, 1428 |
Punjab PA turns chaotic over choice of issues: Judiciary or agriculture?
LAHORE, March 13: Punjab Assembly Speaker Afzal Sahi on Tuesday adjourned the proceedings indefinitely after having a tough time from the opposition, which wanted to discuss “destruction of the judiciary” in the country.
The speaker insisted on discussing the agriculture sector rather than the judicial crisis in the country.
The house was to remain in session till March 16, but the speaker used his powers under Rule 25 (Rules and Procedure) to adjourn proceedings sine die after accusing the opposition of showing “the lack of interest in the prescribed business of the house”.
The house turned chaotic soon after the recitation of the Holy Quran when Deputy Opposition Leader Rana Sanaullah on a point of order grilled the treasury for the “president’s miss-adventures”, which, according to him, had destroyed the judiciary. He said all bar councils were up in arms against President Musharraf and were observing a `black day’ against president’s action against Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.
The house must discuss the “issue of immense national importance”, he said.
The speaker not only interrupted Sanaullah but also told him the matter related to the president and the judiciary could not be discussed under the rules of business of the assembly.
This created a pandemonium and a sling match started, which continued for 10 minutes.
Sanaullah kept asking that if not the assembly, where should the issue of such national importance be discussed.
The speaker, accusing the opposition of being disinterested in business, adjourned the house indefinitely as he could not prorogue the house.
The Opposition came out of the house shouting anti-Musharraf slogans. After protesting for a while outside the house, 40 members of the Opposition decided to walk up to the High Court building to express solidarity with lawyers. —Staff Reporter
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