August 16, 2008	Saturday	Sha'aban 13, 1429

LAHORE, Aug 15: In a rare show of unanimity, members of the Punjab Assembly (MPAs) on Friday demanded Haj quota for them from the federal government and some of them even walked out of the house in protest when provincial ministers failed to satisfy them on the issue.

Through an adjournment motion moved in the house a couple of sittings ago, Shaikh Alauddin deplored the exorbitant rise in Haj fares by the PIA besides demanding quota for each MPA, like for MNAs, in Haj applications.

Supported by the treasury and opposition MPAs alike, he did not accept the suggestion by Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal, also a backer of the demand, that the issue be taken up through a resolution and not an adjournment motion.

MPA Saeed Akbar Niwani said the resolution would bring no good as many a resolutions passed by the house were awaiting implementation. He proposed a two-member committee, consisting of ministers Raja Riaz and Rana Sanaullah, to raise the issue with Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairperson Asif Zardari.

Both ministers coincidentally belonging to Faisalabad were not harmonious on the subject. Mr Riaz said that as the Haj dates were drawing nearer, it would be difficult for the federal government to decide on the quota, especially when members of three other houses

were also likely to demand the same.

Mr Sanaullah did not support it and said that the government could easily meet the demand from Haj quotas of private tour operators earning millions of rupees by offering VIP and VVIP Haj packages.

Opposition leader Chaudhry Zaheeruddin suggested that the issue be referred to a house assurance committee.

Mr Alauddin and some opposition members walked out in protest when no ministers assured them of raising the issue with the government. They were brought back by Pir Nazim Shah and Rana Arshad.

Rana Sana said and he along with Raja Riaz would brief Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif about the consensus of the house so that he could take up the issue with the federal government and requested the chair to delay the motion until Monday.

Earlier, proceedings of the house started almost an hour late than its scheduled time of 3.30pm. But Question Hour, the first item on the agenda, was taken up at 5.10pm as the members remained engaged in showing their presence and performance by raising points of order against all norms and traditions of the house.

A treasury member demanded that the house proceedings start with national anthem. Pervaiz Rafiq from the minorities demanded that like the recitation of the Holy Quran, some verses from the Bible be recited before taking up any other business. The assembly has already introduced recitation of Na’at, though without amending the rules of business. The new demands made law minister Sanaullah to say that with such additions there would come a time when the actual agenda would be taken up one-and-a-half hour later.

He said the way told by the Holy Prophet (SAW) was the best to initiate any work and that was recitation of verses from the Holy Quran.

The members would butt in even when the opposition leader or any minister would take the floor. The attitude prevailed during the Question Hour too as of 23, only three questions could be taken up.

The chair announced ending the Question ‘Hour’ only after 35 minutes, and it was all against the rules. Some opposition members protested that their queries were not being discussed.

There was also a member having the nerves to enjoy a catnap in the ‘chaotic’ house. A colleague in the press gallery called the bulky guy a “sleeping beauty”.

INTER TOPPERS: Law minister Rana Sanaullah Khan told the house that the provincial government had also announced Rs200,000 each for position holders in intermediate exams, and Rs100,000 each for their teachers.

The speaker interrupted a woman opposition member when she spoke in English to point out that a girl topper from Kasur could not get the promised Rs200,000 prize. He asked her to speak in Urdu, reminding her that the use of any other language required the chair’s permission.

Senior minister Raja Riaz would lose no chance to provoke the opposition. On Friday, he said PML-Q President Shujaat Husain along with Pervaiz Elahi met President Musharraf to urge the latter not to resign even though all the four provincial assemblies had passed no-trust resolutions against him. The chair did not allow the opposition to indulge in counter-allegations.