PESHAWAR, June 19: NWFP Assembly Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan ruled on Sunday that there was no illegality in holding of the budget session on a public holiday and the governor had the authority to summon the session on any day.

The ruling was given by the chair over a point of order raised by Abdul Akbar Khan of the People’s Party Parliamentarians, who argued that a budget session could not be held on Sunday or any other public holiday.

Citing Rule 20 of the Assembly Rules of Business, the MPA said no session could be summoned on a holiday. He claimed that the session was against the rules and illegal. He sought a ruling from the speaker on the issue.

The speaker wanted NWFP Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Malik Zafar Azam to respond to the point of order but he was not present in the house.

However, Deputy Speaker Ikramullah said the rule mentioned by the PPP member was clear that when the speaker issued direction the session could be called even on a holiday.

The speaker overruled the point of order.

He said Rule 20 of Assembly Rules of Business was framed under Article 67 of the constitution and it did not put any bar on holding of an assembly session on a public holiday.—APP