LAHORE, Sept 21: More than 300 lawmakers of the Punjab Assembly were away from the house and most of those present were yawning, reclining in their seats or exchanging pleasantries. Deputy speaker Shaukat Mazari was racing through the bill the house was supposed to pass. He had cleared about 50 per cent of the clauses, saying “ayes have it” when an opposition member pointed out that the house was not in quorum. It was a spanner in the works.

The chair lost the momentum, the business was halted and a head count was begun to ascertain the veracity of the claim.

As Mr Mazari was told that not enough lawmakers were present in the house to continue the proceedings, the former ordered that bells be rung for five minutes to complete the quorum. In the meantime, a few opposition members present in the house also left in an attempt to make it difficult for the treasury to complete the required numbers.

Some ministers and MPAs returned to the house after which the chair swiftly completed the legislative business and adjourned the house sine die.

The lack of quorum on a day when the chief minister had invited all treasury members to a breakfast and directed them to take an active part in the proceedings was quite embarrassing. It should be a matter of concern for the chief minister who has appointed an army of ministers and parliamentary secretaries to expand his power base. And also because he has brought several opposition legislators into the PML fold.

The absence of the ruling party as well opposition lawmakers from the house established once again that neither side was serious about transacting any business.

The provincial legislature, under the Constitution, is supposed to meet for 70 days a year. In other words, our worthy elected representatives can enjoy 295 days of vacation every year —- all paid. Their 70 working days also include the weekends falling during the session. Still, they are entitled to leaves. If they meet for a day, they are paid allowances for seven days, three days before and after the session. What a luxury!

It has also been observed that members come to the house, mark their attendance and go home, without making any contribution to the proceedings.

For every working day, an MPA gets about Rs2,500 —- equivalent to the monthly salary of an ordinary constituent. What the ministers and parliamentary secretaries are paid or entitled to in terms of perquisites is stuff dreams are made of.

The chairmen and members of the standing committees are paid extra for the meetings they hold between any two sessions.

Lawmakers belonging to both sides of the political divide are also allowed to do other work. For example, a lawyer can practise law and a doctor can run his clinic as usual. Property dealers, businessmen and farmers who have made it to the house also do their respective work. Many, it is known, use their political position to garner benefits.

The just concluded session lasted for barely five working days in which the house met for no more than 12 hours. Two days were observed as holidays, which brings the total number of days to seven. Count three days before and after the session, and you know that the MPs walked away with 13 days’ allowances.

Unconfirmed reports say that some ruling party and opposition members plan to bring a resolution in the house in the next session to demand that the assembly session should be held only for 30 days a year and that too in the month of June when the budget has to be passed. The speaker will be asked to use his powers to convene the session in Murree, where the weather is pleasant when the rest of the country is sizzling.

Whether the resolution is tabled or not, the common feeling is that the MPAs are not doing enough to justify their salaries and perks. An incident that took place on Wednesday told it all:

A young man holding a newspaper was begging near the Alfalah building, only metres away from the assembly. Not many people liked him for what he was doing because he was healthy and capable of earning his livelihood.

Extending his hand, he was seen explaining to his prospective alms-givers that he was not a professional beggar but jobless. He promised that he would not beg the day he got a job.

The man then said that begging was better than the way the elected representatives made money. He read out from the newspaper reports of walkouts, boycotts, protests, rushed passage of important bills and argued that people not discharging their duties should not be paid at all.