LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly Opposition has demanded immediate convening of the session where the chief minister should explain his role in the Model Town killings after the Justice Baqar Najafi Commission report was made public.

“The Treasury should convene the assembly session at the earliest and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif should tell the House why he didn’t react in time to the violent police action against the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers in Model Town over three years ago,” said Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed while talking to reporters here on Monday.

“The province is echoing with the demand for resignation of Shahbaz Sharif and (law minister) Rana Sana, while the ruling PML-N is deliberately delaying convening of the session in contrast to democratic traditions, apparently because the rulers don’t have any excuse to offer for the Model Town tragedy.”

The session had been put off sine die on Nov 30 after its proceedings remained suspended for a week due to an eight-day sit-in by a religious outfit, Tehreek Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah, outside the assembly building’s main entrance.

The Opposition leader said the chief minister also owed an explanation regarding the alleged serious financial irregularities in the 56 companies the provincial government formed during the last eight years to execute various local body functions.

He alleged that audit of accounts of most of these companies had not been conducted, adding instead of investigating the issue the government was dilly-dallying.

He regretted that farmers, workers, students, visually-impaired people and others were protesting on roads to draw attention of the government towards their respective problems but the rulers were harping on the “all is well” tune.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2017