MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly witnessed bizarre scenes on Thursday after Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider engaged himself in a verbal brawl with leader of the opposition Chaudhry Mohammad Yasin on the issue of alleged allotment of schemes over the last five years.

During the course of his speech, the leader of the opposition, who was allowed by Speaker Shah Ghulam Qadir to present his adjournment motion, alleged that Mr Haider had got schemes from the previous PPP government. The statement angered the prime minister so much that he instantly rose to respond in an angry tone. On this, Mr Yasin accused the prime minister of being “arrogant” and said he protested against it.

“You are showing arrogance due to your numerical strength in the house… But we have seen many others with similar or less majority in the past,” he said.

Mr Haider said apart from being the premier he had a personal identity as well which had been hurt by Mr Yasin’s allegations that he had received money from the PPP government.

He said getting schemes for his constituency was his right as the elected representative of the people.

Mr Yasin clarified that he never said Mr Haider had received money but he stood by his claim that Mr Haider regularly got schemes and projects during the PPP government.

“Even as the minister for local government and rural development I received your calls more than 150 times in the past five years. And I honoured each and every call of yours,” he said.

On many occasions, both the leaders directly addressed each other in a breach of norms of the assembly.

Mr Haider announced that he would resign from politics if the allegations against him were proved.

On this, the leader of the opposition said the PM would never resign, because it was not so simple.

“You have backed out of so many of your announcements of the past,” he said.

The house will meet again on Friday.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2017