Lack of quorum mars PA session

LAHORE:Opposition members in Punjab Assembly criticised the ministers for their ‘non serious’ attitude and constant absence from the House.

During the Punjab Assembly session on Monday, Opposition members Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan and Rana Shahbaz drew the attention of the Chair (Raheela Khadim Hussain) towards the absence of the ministers and the parliamentary secretaries from the House. Rana Aftab Ahmad, the senior most member of Opposition on the occasion stated the government was not taking the House business seriously and demanded adjournment of the session for half an hour. Rana Shahbaz, the Opposition MPA who hails from Jhang, on the occasion, stated that only 10 MPAs of the government were present in the House that showed their level of seriousness. Waqas Maan, the Opposition MPA pointed out quorum which was found incomplete and proceedings were adjourned until Tuesday (today).

Earlier, Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman, the Provincial Minister, during the question hour session told the House that 60 vacancies were lying vacant in district Toba Tek Singh in the Ministry of Finance. The district officials had been placed on the vacant post until they were filled. He also told that case related to 123 vacancies in Finance Ministry was pending in the court, adding once these posts were filled, a lot would improve.

The Opposition MPAs during the session also chanted slogans against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Meanwhile, Raheel Kamran Cheema, the Pakistan People’s Party candidate from PP-52, in a statement strongly condemned the police brutality in the by-election and said that the local police were harassing and arresting PPP workers in false cases. In his video message in front of Model Police Station Sambrial, the Pakistan People’s Party candidate from PP-52 Sialkot alleged that SHO Sambrial kept PPP workers in custody at the behest of the PMLN. If our workers are not released by 5pm, they will stage a sit-in protest in front of the police station. Raheel Kamran Cheema demanded that the authorities, the Election Commission and the DPO Sialkot, rescue his kidnapped cousin.