LAHORE: Whatever luster the Punjab Assembly was left with seems to have gone with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) members quitting the House; Tuesday only proved the point when the House neither had any issue nor the spirit that could have taken it through the day.

A little spark came from Sheikh Allauddin, who, citing a survey report from an NGO, tried to prove how the assembly’s performance had deteriorated. “We need to realise we are writing history and history would judge us harshly, if we don’t mend our ways.”

The Chair tried to defend the House, saying the NGO’s judgment was only related to timings as the PA started most of its session late. The Sheikh, however, was not in a mood to listen. “Sir, you are only skirting the issue. Cite me one example where the Chair allowed the debate on issues raised by the members through an adjournment motion. If the Chair continues bulldozing the issues and the House, its performance (on public issues) is bound to deteriorate. This House can perform much better, if allowed to,” the Sheikh said. “The Chair derives strength from the House and members get power from the Chair. Here, both are failing each other; the Chair does not allow free debate and even secretaries, leave alone ministers, hardly bother to appear before the House,” he said.

The answers to the issues raised by the members were left to light-weight parliamentary secretaries, he said, amid thumping of desks by half a dozen opposition members who were attending the session.

Mumtaz Kahloon of the Treasury also had a go at the Chair and the House, claiming that both were failing the people and societal issues. “This (assembly) is the apex body of the province, but no one listens to it. The ministers avoid it, the secretaries don’t bother and the committees remain perfunctory. It is due to this attitude, the members have lost interest in the House and its proceedings; we can hardly relate to it anymore,” he lamented.

The reaction of the House to the criticism could not have been more misplaced. New minister for law Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman took the floor to read out a resolution, demanding diplomatic passport for the speakers and deputy-speakers of all (provincial) assemblies and blue passport for all parliamentarians. He not only left the Press Gallery wondering about the timing of the demand but also about scope of the resolution; how could the Punjab Assembly make such demand on behalf of other assemblies, and that too only minutes after debating its dismal performance. But the resolution was carried unanimously and even those who were criticising the House moments ago, voted for it.

The proceedings that lasted little over two hours, only survived because no one pointed out the quorum. Otherwise, the session could not have lasted even for a few moments as it was lacking quorum ever since the House met one hour late than its stipulated time.

Two of the Treasury members moved resolutions which even the provincial law minister couldn’t help opposing due to legality issues; federal legislation already exists on the issues, why approve another resolution when the federation was already working on them and had elaborate legal cover. “It also showed the kind of ‘hard work’ the members of the Punjab Assembly put into them”, someone quipped in the gallery.

By the time, the Chair called it a day by around 1pm, there were hardly 30 members left in the house against the required 93.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2014