LAHORE, March 2: The opposition gave a tough time to the treasury benches during the Punjab assembly’s session on Friday by pointing out deteriorating law and order situation in the province and the government’s failure to nab its “favourites” who the president has accused of patronising gambling and prostitution dens in Lahore.

Law minister Basharat Raja, who braved the criticism in the absence of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, got disturbed when the opposition suddenly pointed to short quorum as soon as deputy speaker Shaukat Mazari allowed him to move four government bills.

He rushed out to call in his colleagues present in the lobby or in the cafeteria, and heaved a sigh of relief when the deputy speaker declared that the house was in quorum after bells were tolled for five minutes on his orders.

The deputy speaker referred the bills to the standing committees concerned for reports till April 30 and adjourned the session till Monday afternoon.

Satisfaction writ large on the face of the law minister who managed to foil the opposition’s attempt to disrupt important government business because of his colleagues’ lack of interest in it.

The bills were: The Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children (First Amendment) Ordinance 2006, The Punjab Regulation and Control of Loudspeakers and Sound Amplifiers (Amendment) Bill 2007, The Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Bill 2007, and The Punjab Forensic Science Agency Bill 2007.

Another moment of embarrassment for the law minister came when his colleague, parliamentary secretary Waris Kalloo, declared that the murder case of social welfare minister Zille Huma Usman had been sent to an ordinary court for trial despite the government’s claims that the culprit would be punished by an anti-terrorism court.

Mr Kalloo said the killer was a “dangerous person” who was earlier acquitted despite killing several women. The prosecution had now again started showing weakness in the minister’s murder case, he said.

He asked the law minister to trace out elements who informed the trial court earlier in the day that the minister’s murder case could not be heard by an anti-terrorism court and should be sent to an ordinary court. Following that, the case was referred to an ordinary court and the law minister must take notice of it, he said.

At that moment, the law minister kept silent but before moving the bills he clarified that the information of Mr Kalloo was wrong. Actually, the case was referred to one anti-terrorism court by another on administrative grounds. It would be tried by an ATC, he assured the house.

The opposition began its onslaught against the government when MMA’s Arshad Baggu rose on a point of order soon after the session began to mention the terrorist attack on the Multan sessions judge, wondering what was going on in the province.

He said on the one hand bomb attacks were being launched and on the other, the government was patronising the Valentine’s Day and organising marathons and Basant.

“First they arranged for the killing of people on Basant and now they are giving money to their heirs,” he said. He asked as to who was responsible for the killing of a Gulshan-i-Ravi boy with sharp twine on Basant.

Right now, he said, appeals were being made to allow registration of cases against the chief minister and the government for the killings on Basant. The government had announced ban on Basant in case a single death took place due to kite flying. But, he said, the ban was not imposed merely to please “one man”.

Opposition leader Qasim Zia asked as to what the chief minister had done with regard to the letter sent by the president which alleged patronising of gambling and prostitution dens by the ruling party members, ministers and the police.

Such dens could not operate without the backing of the police, he said, and questioned the justification of giving Rs21 billion to the police which had failed to curb criminal activities.

“Who is responsible for lawlessness in the province when the chief minister is not taking stock of it?” he asked.

Qasim Zia said the PPP was being accused of opposing the Kalabagh dam despite its stance that it should be constructed after evolving a national consensus on it.

The president had now announced postponement of the dam construction. And when the Sindh chief minister could oppose the dam by threatening to resign, why his Punjab counterpart could not demand its construction with the same threat.

Responding to the attack, Raja Basharat said the provincial government was ready to face every situation. It had done a lot for the welfare of people.

He said the opposition had condemned the police while forgetting that two constables were killed in the attack on the sessions judge. Policemen, too, had sacrificed their lives in the line of duty in some other past incidents, he said.

“We condemn those who are patronising or launching such attacks. But the mention of these elements will have far-reaching consequences,” he said.

The minister said the attackers were actually religious extremists who were being encouraged by “such” circles. The MMA members who had opposed the word Maulvi for the killer of the late Ms Zille Huma on Thursday must explain as to why the JI’s Shabab-i-Milli had taken out a procession on his acquittal in the earlier murder cases against him.

He said the letter by the president was wrongly being portrayed as a no confidence against the provincial government. This was not so and action would be taken against those mentioned in it. Arrests were already being made and those involved could not escape justice.

He said the Punjab chief minister’s stance on Kalabagh dam had not changed. The PPP Punjab and Sindh should also synchronise its stance over the issue.

Mr Baggu denied the claim about the Shabab-i-Milli’s procession for Ms Huma’s killer. The minister had himself earlier declared that the killer had no relation with any religious organisation. “The MMA members will resign if the minister’s claim proves true. Otherwise he should resign,” he said.