Commotion in Punjab PA over Nawaz resolution

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly proceedings were again marred by a lack of quorum on Thursday, causing an early adjournment without completing the agenda, but not before the treasury and opposition took on each other in a commotion and hullabaloo over the opposition’s demand to withdraw the treasury benches’ resolution which the House adopted the previous day that expressed solidarity with the disqualified prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

Soon after the question hour, Leader of the Opposition Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed rose on a point of order and demanded the Speaker Rana Iqbal to withdraw the resolution. He termed the resolution against the rules, ethics and norms of decency. He cited Rule 117 of the rules of business, saying that according to that rule, no resolution or motion could be tabled in the House that backed a person who had been disqualified by the Supreme Court and whose case was still sub judice before the apex court.

Mehmoodur Rasheed accused the treasury benches of displaying cunningness while tabling that resolution out of turn and choosing a time when he was not in the House because he had to take his ailing mother to a doctor for treatment. He asserted that if he were present in the House, he would not have allowed that resolution to be tabled.

He said if the resolution was not withdrawn, it would be deemed that the Chair had become a party in support of the treasury benches and would invite strong protests from the opposition.Responding to his demands, provincial minister for minorities Khalil Tahir Sindhu stated that the resolution was tabled after suspending the rules, and declared that any resolution adopted by the august House could not be re-debated or withdrawn since it would amount to insulting the House.

He said the opposition members were present in the House when the resolution was tabled but they only indicated the lack of quorum but did not oppose it purposefully. As the chair refused to entertain the point raised by the leader of the opposition, the opposition members rose on their seats and began raising slogans against the chair and the leadership of ruling party. The treasury benches responded with equal force and for several minutes both sides kept raising loud slogans, causing a commotion that left nothing audible. The Speaker’s request to maintain order went in vain.

Later, after the order was restored, the House adopted a unanimous resolution out of turn which praised the services and achievements of Dr Ruth Pfau, a noted social worker who devoted her life for the eradication of leprosy from Pakistan and struggled selflessly for over five decades fighting against the disease, and consequently triumphed in eradicated the menace in late 90’s.

The resolution read out by provincial minister Khalil Tahir Sindhu threw light on the life of Dr Ruth Pfau, also known as mother Teresa of Pakistan, and enumerated her achievements and awards which were bestowed on her in recognition of her matchless services towards humanity. When the speaker called for the taking up of the remaining business, PTI’s Arif Abbasi pointed out lack of quorum. But the required number of members could not make it to the House despite that Speaker ordered ringing of bells twice for several minutes. Consequently, the proceedings were adjourned for Friday (today) morning.