LAHORE, June 20: The issue of banishment of 10 MPAs belonging to PPP and PML-N plagued the house proceedings for the fourth consecutive day on Monday as the opposition staged a walkout to protest “partisan” attitude of the speaker when he refused to review his Thursday’s ruling. Police again thwarted an attempt by the expelled MPAs’ to enter the assembly building at 4.30pm by erecting barricades at the entrance. An official jeep was also parked as the “second defence line” if the vehicle of the “intruders” managed to cross the barrier.

Plainclothesmen also put bricks in front of the vehicles carrying the banished MPA’s who later staged a sit-in there.

Earlier, the opposition rejected Afzal Sahi’s offer to form a committee representing both sides and guaranteeing that no unparliamentary words would be used in future.

The opposition wanted that the proceedings be adjourned and the expelled MPAs, including PML-N parliamentary leader Rana Sanaullah, be allowed entry to assembly premises for holding a meeting with the speaker and the treasury to amicably solve the matter.

The treasury was not ready to give this concession, demanding that the opposition should first prove that they were sincere in changing their attitude.

Opposition leader Qasim Zia said after the chair had expunged the controversial words of Rana Sana who had also tendered his apology there was no justification for bringing a resolution against the PML-N’s parliamentary leader.

He questioned whether the chair would announce capital punishment for anyone if the treasury with a majority vote introduced a resolution to the effect.

He offered en-bloc resignation of the opposition members if the speaker gave in black and white that he did not need them in the house.

Mr Zia regretted that the treasury members who had used filthy language against Rana Sana in the house were not taken to task, nor the chair gave any ruling on the government’s “false” statements of allocating development funds for the opposition members too.

Mr Zia also said that article 210 of the rules of business allowed the chair to bar any MPA only from entering the house and not the assembly building.

Speaker Sahi said he had rather favoured Rana Sana by sending him out of the house, otherwise some mishap could have happened if 261 treasury members had attacked the PMl-N leader.

Arshad Baggu, Rana Aftab, Raja Riaz, Haji Ijaz and Nazim Shah also urged the speaker to allow the banished MPAs to enter the assembly premises.

Law Minister Raja Basharat opposed the MPA’s entry and said that the minority (the opposition) could not hold hostage the majority (treasury) by getting its point of view accepted.

Talking to reporters during the sit-in, Rana Sana said the speaker had admitted that 261 treasury members wanted to attack him. But, he regretted, instead of taking any action against the attackers, the chair expelled the victim.

“Is this according to the Constitution and the law the speaker claims to be guarding?” he questioned, demanding the chair to resign.

Answering a question about the alleged corruption by the incumbent ruling party, he challenged the speaker to fix a day for debate in the house and claimed the opposition would prove that Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi’s family was purchasing lands around the Lahore Ring Road.

Heads of land mafia were operating from the CM’s secretariat, he alleged.