LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaurdhry Pervaiz Elahi created history in the House on Monday when, in response to speech of opposition leader Hamza Shahbaz, he delivered a full 10-minute political sermon – totally forgetting the decorum (neutrality) of the chair – extolling governance of the PML-Q during 2002-2007.

“You should not forget that the PML-Q’s was the first government to complete the IMF programme in its tenure (2002-2007), not the PML-N as mentioned by you. The budget utilisation during that period was 98 per cent, more than the PML-N’s,” he told the House and the opposition leader.

“Had the PML-N government only continued doing what the PML-Q had started, things could have been much better for the province and the PML-N,” he claimed. Chaudhry was so passionate for his speech that he delayed prayers (maghrib) break by at least 10 minutes to complete it.

He said the PML-Q had started establishing police patrolling posts and wanted to create 500 of them, but the PML-N stopped them at 350. “Had all of these (police posts) been created, the law and order situation could have been much better in the province. It was the PML-Q that created traffic police (wardens) force to check the increasing mess on the roads. The PML-Q created another heart institute on the pattern of Punjab Institute of Cardiology at Wazirabad, not Gujrat. But the PML-N government did not complete it due to vindictive political priorities, causing so many deaths. All those were provincial institutions, not personal: they should not have fallen (a prey) to personal political vendetta.”

During Mr Elahi’s speech, ministers like Chaudhry Zaheerud Din, were continuously feeding him points on the PML-Q achievements – like making education up to metric free and giving free books to students – totally ignoring the fact that they were elected on the PTI tickets and were supposed to defend their own government.

Continuing, Mr Elahi said his government had taken the growth rate to eight per cent and also built 32,000 kilometers of farm-to-market roads. “Our government had initiated plans for the rehabilitation of Tausna Barrage, which should have been continued. Additionally, the PML-N must have built another barrage during its 10-year rule in the province,” he said.

The opposition members like Sami Ullah Khan tried to interrupt the speaker and remind him that the decorum of his office did not allow him such remarks or speech. But, they were not allowed to do so by Hamza Shahbaz who was in an exceptionally cooperative mood and not only let the speaker complete his speech but rose on his chair at the end to respond.

“I have particularly appreciated (Rescue) 1122 ambulance service started by you and let the same in-charge doctor to stay. I personally held meetings to ensure early starting of the heart institute at Wazirabad when I came to know about the delay. Having said that, I accept that we learn from each other and try to improve our behaviour and governance with mutual assistance. This is what I am suggesting right now: let’s sit together and help each other for betterment of the province,” he responded.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2019