PA approves new rules of assembly amid Opp walkout

LAHORE

Punjab Assembly Wednesday approved 26 amendments to The Rules of Procedures of the Assembly Business including the one that empowers the speaker to appoint or dismiss leader of the opposition on the written request by the simple majority of the members. 

The amendments were passed while the opposition members were not in the House for protesting the treasury’s attitude of not entertaining the amendments proposed by them. The suggestion by the leader of the Opposition, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed, seeking to empower standing committees to take suo motu notice was rejected by the majority vote. Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told the House that such an experience in the National Assembly failed to yield desired results. 

The amendments approved included a five-minute zero hour before the start of question hour to allow any member to raise issue of public interest on point of order. The speaker can extend time period keeping in view the importance of that issue. One member can bring only one adjournment motion in a day and the relevant parliamentary secretary will respond to it on the floor of the House.

According to new amendments, Assembly sessions will be convened as per the schedule issued at the start of the parliamentary year calendar. However, governor can call assembly session anytime. At least, three sessions will be convened in a year and the gap between two sittings cannot exceed 120 days. Compulsion of at least 100 days proceedings in one parliamentary year will continue. 

Earlier, the speaker refused to allow opposition leader Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed to present a resolution out of turn on the statement of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif criticising National Accountability Bureau. The opposition leader said corruption had paralysed the whole system but it was a sorry state of affairs that the PM was supporting those involved in corruption and threatening NAB against taking action in this regard.

He said PM’s statement was aimed at stopping NAB from taking action against the corrupt elements and brought a bad name to Pakistan. He said the PM’s statement gave the impression that his government was not sincere in curbing corruption. 

The House also passed two bills including The Canal and Drainage (Amendment) Bill 2015 and The University of Okara Bill 2015. Two bills were also tabled before the House including The Punjab Maintenance of Public Order (Amendment) Bill 2016 and The Punjab Local Government (Third Amendment) Bill 2016 which were sent to the relevant standing committees with the direction to submit report within 60 days.