LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly session convened on the requisition of the opposition for discussing price hike and law and order situation could not last a couple of hours and was adjourned sine die by the deputy speaker for a lack of quorum.

As per decision of the Business Advisory Committee, the Question Hour was reduced to 20 minutes to give maximum time to discussion on the issues badly affecting the masses.

Mian Aslam Iqbal opened the debate and accused the last PML-N government of what he said artificially maintaining the value of dollar at the cost of national economy and now its impact was being seen by the masses. He said the PTI government inherited a wrecked economy and government.

PML-N’s Sardar Awais Leghari said the minister didn’t know what the price hike meant and was trying to shift responsibility of the PTI government’s policies on to past policies.

PPP parliamentary leader Hasan Murtaza’s remarks made the ruling PTI members protest in the house. He said it was bad luck of the PTI that everything they got was ruined. Continuing his speech amidst the uproar by the PTI women MPAs, he said unlike them (PTI women MPAs), he had contested the polls and reached the house with a mandate from the voters of his constituency.

His comment that the protesting MPAs needed education further irritated the women on treasury benches. MPA Uzma Kardar took the floor and demanded that Mr Murtaza tender an apology.

The opposition, on whose request the session had been convened and its at least 90 members were present in the beginning of the session, could not arrange the magical number to complete quorum and Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Mazari announced adjourning the proceedings for an indefinite period.

Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2019