LAHORE, June 15: Deputy Opposition Leader Rana Sanaullah Khan’s remarks about ‘turncoats’ provoked the treasury benches to the extent that they rushed to thrash the PML-N leader during the budget debate in the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday eveing. There was a complete chaos in the house with Speaker Afzal Sahi, stunned by the sudden reaction, unable to control the situation as ruling party’s Najaf Sial and another member openly used filthy language and hurled threats on the Rana.
However, ministers Chaudhry Zaheeruddin and Husain Jehanian Gardezi, MMA’s Arshad Baggu, Ijaz Bokhari and others intervened to control the situation.
Rana Sana was concluding budget debate from the opposition side when he got emotional and said that a team of turncoats was ruling the province and questioned their loyalties with the country, nation and their fathers.
Alleging that the Punjab rulers had sacrificed interests of the province on the National Finance Commission (NFC) award by signing a plain paper and authorizing Gen Musharraf to give a fival verdict.
He claimed that the other three provinces had been given an undertaking by the presidency that Punjab’s share in the NFC would be slashed as the award would not be based on population against the past practice.
Minister Saeed Akbar Niwani, venting out emotions of the treasury, authorized the speaker to decide whether the Rana should apologize with the house or not. Rana Sana also agreed to it.
Mr Sahi said that the PML-N leader should take back his remarks (regarding parenthood of the turncoats) and should apologize with the house.
The Rana complied with the decision, asserting the issue had now been settled.
However, law minister Raja Basharat announced that PML parliamentary party would, on Thursday, decide whether a resolution condemning the Rana should be tabled in the house.
Meanwhile, concluding the budget debate, finance minister Husnain Bahadur Dreshak rejected the opposition’s assertion that the budget was unconstitutional in the absence of the NFC award.
He said last two budgets had also been presented under the fifth award announced in 1999.
The award should be renewed every five years.
He also denied that any blank paper had been signed by the chief minister which might damage interests of the province.
He said Mr Pervaiz Elahi had rather raised the issue of Ghazi Barotha hydle power project royalty which had been surrendered by a former chief minister (Shahbaz Sharif) to the federation.
He claimed that Punjab would get similar benefits for the project as given to the NWFP in Tarbela case.
APP ADDS: Treasury members appreciated the chief minister and his team for presenting “balanced” and “people-friendly” budget while the opposition said it offered no relief to public.
Chaudhery Javed of treasury benches said that it was historic budget with huge funds allocated for health, education and infrastructure development.
He said it was due to successful policy of the present government in education sector that the number of children seeking admission to government schools had increased by 900,000.
He claimed people now preferred public sector schools to private institutions.
He said the farm sector had also been given due attention with sufficient funds allocated for it with special emphasis on research, extension of field services to growers and marketing to ensure that growers got due return.
Jehanzeb Imtiaz Gill of opposition said it was rich people’s budget as no relief had been offered to the poor.
He said the government had projected the GDP growth rate of eight per cent but even then there was no improvement in the economic condition of the masses. In this connection he quoted examples of a number of countries of the world which achieved high growth rate but poverty level also remained high there.