Speaker prorogues Punjab PA session

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal remained unsuccessful in running the proceedings of the House on Friday despite allowing over one hour time to the government to complete the quorum.

At the end, after several embarrassing moments, he had no option but to prorogue the session sine die shortly after the start of the question hour.

PTI member Dr Murad Ross indicated the lack of quorum shortly after the proceedings began. The Speaker adjourned the proceedings for 20 minutes initially and then for an hour. Treasury benches managed to avoid some embarrassment by mustering enough members to start the proceedings.

However, Parliamentary Secretary for Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department Malik Muhammad Ali Khokhar unsuccessfully struggled to provide replies to members’ queries for over half an hour during which the Speaker rescued him from total humiliation by adjourning several questions whose replies could not satisfy the questioners.

After the question hour, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sanaullah Khan rose to table a resolution in support of media workers.

He had just sought permission to table the resolution from the Speaker, when PML-Q member Ahsan Riaz Fatiana indicated the shortage of quorum again. Despite 20 minutes of ringing the bells, the required number of members could not reach the House which forced the Speaker to adjourn the session indefinitely.