Punjab Assembly: Opposition walks out against govt’s inaction over ‘Black Friday’

LAHORE: The opposition in Punjab Assembly staged a walkout against the government’s inaction over following the Christian traders’ tradition of pre-Christmas sales in the name of Black Friday and warned they will not join the session unless government took measures to stop the systematic insult to the Muslims' holy day of week and removed all the boards and hoardings in this regard.
Soon after the Question Hour on Friday, Leader of the Opposition Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed rose on a point of order and drew Speaker Rana Iqbal Khan’s attention towards what he called the government’s turning face from the systematic insults to the Muslim holy day by calling it black. He asked if everyone in the government was asleep towards blatant promotion of anti-Islamic practices in a Muslim country. “Are the rulers trying to promote the western culture in the country. Have they gone blind in following the West. Why they are taking every dictation from the West. What message they want to convey to the young generation,” he aksed.
He demanded that the government should ban the Black Friday celebrations, remove all the boards and hoardings of Black Friday from the streets till the Friday prayers, and take action against all those promoting this offensive tradition in the Islamic country. The opposition members raised slogans against the government and in favour of the Islamic character of Pakistan.
Not only the opposition members, including Sadia Rana and Khadija Umar, members from treasury benches also condemned the blind and unchecked following of western and Christian traditions in the country. The opposition members walked out of the House when the speaker refused to give any ruling on the issue. Later, Provincial Minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman said the government supported the opposition’s stance on the issue of Black Friday and assured the Speaker that the government would take necessary measures to remove the boards, hoardings and banners promoting this western tradition.
The House also adopted a resolution calling for inclusion of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat belief as subject in the syllabi of schools and colleges. The movers of the resolution, jointly tabled by treasury and opposition benches, included Waheed Gul, Maulana Ilyas Chinioti, Allama Ghayasuddin, Begum Zakia Shahnawaz and Raheela Khadim Hussain. The resolution stressed that in view of the vital importance of this belief, it must be conveyed to the young generations through the syllabi.
Later, opposition member Nabeela Hakim indicated that the House was lacking quorum. The Speaker ordered ringing of bells twice but the quorum could not be completed which forced the adjournment till Monday.