PPP’s Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly, Raja Riaz. – File Photo

LAHORE: Pandemonium hit the Punjab Assembly when PPP’s Leader of the Opposition Raja Riaz moved toward treasury benches with a garland, but was stopped by an MPA.

MPA Waris Kallo, who held an important position in the PML-Q government, stopped Riaz because he thought the opposition leader was carrying something harmful. His intervention prompted other PML-N members to jump into the affair. Those belonging to the PPP too sprang into action to help their encircled leader and a rumpus ensued.

The situation forced finance minister Kamran Michael to pause and continued for sometime despite appeals by the speaker. Riaz took a garland out of his pocket as he moved toward the treasury benches where the chief minister and law minister were sitting and the finance minister was presenting his budget speech.

Riaz earlier congratulated Sharif for coming to the Punjab Assembly, saying that he welcomed the chief minister to the assembly after “eight months of boycott”.— Mansoor Malik