Punjab PA adjourned after conflict over resolution against ICJ verdict

LAHORE: Conflict between the treasury and the opposition led to the adjournment of the Punjab Assembly session on Friday while both sides were unable to table a resolution of their own choice over the International Court of Justice’s verdict regarding RAW spy Kulbhushan Yadav.

After suggesting some amendment to the text of opposition’s resolution condemning the verdict of ICJ which ruled to stay the execution of Indian spy Kulbhushan, the treasury tried to move the resolution carrying text of its own choice but due to lack of quorum, its bid was foiled.

Initially, it was the opposition leader Mian Mehmood ul Rasheed who sought permission from Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan to table a resolution against the ICJ verdict suspending the death punishment of Indian spy Kulbhushen Yadav, who was awaiting execution in Pakistan.

The resolution of the opposition carried strong remarks against the federal government for accepting the ICJ jurisdiction over the case. Besides, it also termed it a sheer failure of the Pakistan government over diplomatic front, which caused a huge embarrassment to the country in the global community.

Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah Khan stated he had no objection to the resolution regarding the ICJ verdict but it must be amended. However, the amended resolution which expunged all the criticism of the government didn’t satisfy the opposition whose members started chanting slogans of ‘Kulbhushan ko Phaansi Do’ (Hang Kulbhushan) and as a tit for tat response, the ruling party MPAs also started chanting slogans against Imran Khan. While Rana Sana Ullah Khan was tabling the resolution, the opposition members pointed out the quorum, which was found insufficient.

The proceedings were adjourned for 20 minutes but once again the treasury was unable to complete the quorum, thus, indicating the poor performance of its chief whip Rana Muhammad Arshad who failed to gather the MPAs like several previous times.

The PA session was adjourned till Monday. Meanwhile, Uzma Zahid Bokhari, a ruling party MPA, staged walkout of the proceedings in protest against the attitude of the PA Speaker for not paying attention towards the issue related to the provision of justice to Khadija, a girl who was stabbed 23 times by her classmate. In an emotional speech on the floor of Punjab Assembly, she appealed to the chief minister, chief justices of Supreme Court of Pakistan and Lahore High Court to ensure provision of justice to Khadija, a girl who was stabbed 23 times in Lahore but survived despite severe injuries.

Azma stated the girl was attacked by the son of an influential lawyer and she had been denied justice as the bail was granted to her attacker.

Azma Bokhari, while calling the attention of the Punjab chief minister, who wasn’t present in the House, appealed to him to come for the support of the girl. Azma Zahid Bokhari praised Geo TV anchor Shahzeb Khanzada for highlighting the issue.

When the Speaker asked Azma to come up with an adjournment motion over this issue, she complained to the Chair for ignoring this issue and finally announced staging walkout. Earlier, the PA took up question hours related with Higher Education Department during which Mehwish Sultan, the parliamentary secretary concerned, responded to the queries of legislators.

Saqib Khursheed, a ruling party MPA from Vehari, criticised HEC for not paying proper attention to a college in his district where key slots of lecturers, assistant professors and others were lying vacant.

The HEC officials were also criticised for providing wrong figures as Saqib Khursheed, MPA, asked the parliamentary secretary to provide the number of the bus which according to the claims of the department had been provided for the facility of students. Saqiq Khursheed, on the occasion, stated that there existed not a single bus in the college after which Mehwish Sultan assured him to take up the matter with officials.

Waqas Moakkel, the PML-Q parliamentary leader, also criticised the HEC over the same question while highlighting the facts that security guards were recruited in a boys college where a number of posts of lecturers, associates professors and even a librarian were lying vacant.