Opposition freaks out over Leaks

PA session

LAHORE

Punjab Assembly again witnessed a serious commotion on Wednesday after government rejected opposition’s move to bring a resolution condemning those whose names appeared in the Panama Papers. Amidst uproar and loud sloganeering from both sides against each other, the opposition walked out of the House in protest against being disallowed to table the resolution, but the government made a smart move by passing a resolution of its own that condemned those elements trying to destabilise the government in the wake of Panama Papers leak and backed the government proposed judicial commission headed by a retired judge of Supreme Court.

The trouble began after leader of the opposition Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed sought permission for tabling a resolution out of turn against the Panama Papers’ revelations and the beneficiaries of the offshore companies mentioned therein. Besides, the opposition’s proposed resolution also rejected the Prime Minister’s proposed judicial commission headed by retired judge of the Supreme Court.

“Prime Minister should first resign from his office in order to make any judicial probe impartial and meaningful. And the proposed judicial commission must be headed by a serving judge of the Supreme Court instead of any retired judge,” he said while pleading the speaker to allow him the permission to table the resolution.

But Law minister Rana Sanaullah opposed the request and said the government reserved the right to amend the opposition’s proposed resolution would definitely bring in its own amendments in it. He expressed complete confidence over Prime Minister’s proposed judicial commission on the issue headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court.

The Speaker refused the request which infuriated the opposition members who started raising slogans against the top government officials like Prime Minister and Punjab Chief Minister. The sloganeering was duly responded by the treasury benches as the House echoed with slogans like “Go, Nawaz Go,” and “Down with Jewish lobby” etc. The angry opposition members also came out of their seats and gathered before the speaker’s dias and also danced there for some time.

Repeated requests by the speaker to maintain order in the House and to take their seats went in vain as the opposition members did not pay any heed to them. While the treasury members also played their part in sharing this rumpus which lasted for few minutes before the opposition members walked out of the House.

After the opposition members walked out, the government tabled its own resolution on the issue. Tabled by Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, the resolution welcomed the judicial commission proposed by the prime minister for probing into the allegations leveled in the Panama Papers Leaks, headed by the retired judge of the Supreme Court. The resolution further said that the House of Punjab Assembly condemned those elements trying to conspire against the government and to create political instability by taking undue advantage of the allegations made in the Panama Papers.

Later, while participating in the pre budget debate, treasury member Sheikh Allauddin proposed a 30 per cent luxury tax on hotels and restaurants after 10 pm in the night. He also demanded that taxation system be overhauled in order to make it one window operation. He demanded discourage the huge imports of everyday use items which, he said, was seriously damaging the local industry. The debate was participated by Hina Pervaiz Butt, Ali Asghar Manda, Amjad Ali Javed, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Waheed Gull, Sardar Shahabuddin, Siddiq Khan, Sardar Jamal Leghari, Dr Nosheen Hamid, Ahmad Khan Bhacchar, Shehnila Ruth and Asif Mehmood.