Azma vows to boycott PA proceedings under Mazari

Published April 28, 2019
PML-N MPA Azma Bokhari. — Photo courtesy of Twitter
PML-N MPA Azma Bokhari. — Photo courtesy of Twitter

LAHORE: PML-N MPA Azma Bokhari, whose membership was suspended in the ongoing Punjab Assembly session by Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari, said on Saturday she would boycott the session proceedings whenever “this spoiled feudal” would be in the chair.

“Dost Muhammad Mazari is a spoiled feudal and he thinks his tenants are sitting in the Punjab Assembly. He misbehaved with me and I will boycott any proceedings under him in the House,” Ms Bokhari told Dawn.

She also posted a video of Mazari threatening some tenants in his constituency, asking them to vote for him or face consequences.

“This man does respect women and there should be a law in the assembly to penalise him for his conduct (that is) unbecoming of a deputy speaker,” she demanded.

During the debate on the report of the standing committee on local government in the House on Friday, Mr Mazari snubbed Ms Bokhari saying“Why do you raise objection to every matter? Sit down now.”

Another PML-N lawmaker, Pir Ashraf Rasool, called Mr Mazari an “indecent man.” The deputy speaker suspended the membership of Ms Bukhari, Mr Rasool and another ‘N’ MPA, Mian Abdul Rauf, for the ongoing session.

Meanwhile, the PML-N is holding a parliamentary party meeting on Monday to devise its strategy with regard to THE suspension of three of its lawmakers and the government’s plan get the local body government bill passed without a debate in the Punjab Assembly.

“The PTI government wants the passage of the local body government bill amid the opposition’s boycott over the issue of suspension of its MPAs. I will request the leadership to not to boycott the session over this issue and don’t give the government an easy way to get the local government bill adopted,” Azma Bokhari said.

During the Friday’s session, the government appeared in such a hurry that it laid the standing committee report on the local government bill in the House even before the Question Hour in an attempt to set things rolling for passage of the bill, starting the mandatory time of three days for the opposition to propose amendments.

Punjab Law Minister Basharat Raja was not available for his comment on the issue.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2019

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