LAHORE, Nov 27: Majority MPAs’ lack of awareness about the rules and decorum of the house marred proceedings of the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday.

Those accommodated in the visitors’ gallery above the main hall still felt neglected and repeatedly yelled at the opposition, delivering speeches without permission. A minority MPA repeatedly but offensively sought permission to speak and a PML-Q member in the gallery released a paper plane in the house, asking the PML-N men to fly it to Saudi Arab.

Many women were allowed to speak and yet many spoke without permission. But majority directly addressed the opponent members instead of the chair and traded only claims and allegations.

MMA’s Arshad Baggoo was named as “Babboo Gosha” when he introduced himself, making him blush for the moment. He immediately recomposed himself at the cost of his vigour.

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi never allowed PML-N’s Rana Sanaullah Khan to speak before the election of the speaker. But when he was allowed by the new speaker to speak, his words created a pandemonium in the house.

It took quite some time to restore calm to the house. During this time, some PML-Q senior leaders did talk reason. They noticed that the members of even of their own party were not abiding by the rules and manners of the assembly, urging the need to educate them for the purpose.

Senior PML-Q leader Chaudhry Iqbal suggested the teaching of the members at a seminar at Alhamra. While another senior, Sardar Hasan Akhtar Moakal, made it clear to his party MPAs that criticism was a right of the opposition and, therefore, they must tolerate it.

Senior PPP MPA Nazim Shah earlier tried to calm down the young PML-Q MPAs, saying they were interrupting leader of an opposition party and must remember that the opposition could do the same to their leader in the house.

Earlier, Mr.Shah objected to the delivery of written speech by Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi before handing over charge of the chair to the elected speaker.

Chaudhry Pervaiz declared that he had not violated the assembly law. Under its rules, any member could read out written material, or deliver speech in Punjabi or English with the prior permission of the speaker.

The house offered fateha for those killed in an earthquake in the northern areas. The PML-Q members greeted a suggestion by a colleague to also offer fateha for the opposition members who had walked out in protest, by beating desks.

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said the opposition members, who used to quote rules, regulations and the Constitution, were not aware of them. They walked out after raising a point of order without listening to the ruling on it by the chair. “I had informed them on Monday that their oath was under the Constitution and, therefore, I now dispose of their point of order,” he said.

PPP’s Farzana Raja and PML-N’s Saba Sadiq said the majority party must know that the opposition too was important in a democratic setup and must not, therefore, ignore it. Ms.Raja said the opposition members were being coerced to vote for PML-Q candidates.

Ms.Zainab of the PML-Q said the opposition was using unparliamentary language. The tradition of coercion was not new. People were given money and were harassed also in the past.