LAHORE, March 8: The opposition ‘avenged’ the killing of its bills by the treasury a day before as it blocked law-making work by the government by pointing out a lack of quorum on Wednesday.
The situation is more embarrassing for the government, as it was just the third day of the Punjab Assembly’s current session, the first in the ongoing parliamentary year. The authorities have plans to run it at least up to March 22.
If the quorum problem (read disinterest in law-making) emerges in the beginning when legislators are not that much tired and bored, what will be the scene as the session proceeds on can be anybody’s guess.
The house, after Zuhr prayer break, was taking up government business and the chair had just referred the Societies Registration (Amendment) Ordinance 2006 to a standing committee for report within two months when PML-N’s Sheikh Ijaz, on a point of order, pointed out the lack of quorum.
Ringing of bells for several minutes and efforts of various ministers could not bring in more than 50 MPAs to the house, leaving no option for the chair but to adjourn the proceedings for Thursday morning. The Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Ordinance 2006 and the University of Central Punjab (Amendment) Bill 2005 could not be taken up.
WALKOUT: The opposition again staged a symbolic walkout against “the government’s insistence on celebrating Basant with the permission to fly kites”.
Sheikh Ijaz of the PML-N had, on a point of order, questioned the chief minister’s statement that a ban on kite flying would be imposed only if the sport caused more deaths.
Added criticism by Samiullah and other opposition MPAs on the reports that President Musharraf would also be in Lahore to celebrate the event annoyed law minister Raja Basharat. He first challenged raising of points of order during the question hour and termed it violation of an earlier agreement reached between the treasury and the opposition against the practice.
And then he declared: “As Gen Musharraf is an elected president, he will come here and definitely come here and will celebrate the Basant. Stop his visit if you (the opposition) can.”
Hearing this, all opposition members, except Azma Bokhari and Arshad Baggu, walked out of the house as a mark of protest.
Ms Bokhari protested that the chair was not allowing the opposition to talk on any issue. Announcing that she would get an FIR registered against the Punjab government if any more child fell victim to kite string, she too walked out of the house.
Mr Baggu followed her after rejecting as vague the CM’s statement on kite-flying ban.
FARMERS: The government claimed in the house that farmers were prosperous even more than their counterparts in India.
Agriculture minister Arshad Lodhi, on a point of order raised by MMA’s Asghar Gujjar about farmers’ plight due to high prices of farm inputs, said the federal and provincial governments and the president, the prime minister and the Punjab CM were busy in serving the farming community.