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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Opp walks out against Ahad’s promotion

By Moayyed Jafri
February 24, 2018

LAHORE:Punjab Assembly session on Friday could not get past the question-answer session after the opposition pointed out the quorum in protest of not being allowed to speak in the house against Ahad Cheema’s promotion.

The session was scheduled to start at 9am, but started 45 minutes late. Right after the Tilawat and Na'at recited, the Speaker announced beginning of the question-answer session; however, PTI MPA Nosheen Hamid raised a point of order. The Speaker inquired regarding the urgency of the matter to which she said the nature of the matter is so grave and emergent that it cannot wait for the Q&A session.

Nosheen started slamming the government over their blatant disregard for morality and law because they chose to promote an official currently behind bars for his unlawful actions. She bashed Ahad Cheema and called him an instrument of Shahbaz Sharif that is used at will to misappropriate public money.

The Speaker tried to calm her down but she refused to back down upon which the Speaker switched off her mike. While all this was going on, members from treasury benches also rose up to speak. Rana Arshad, the chief whip, said this entire Ahad Cheema episode is an attempt to stall the government’s development and public service agenda, and the opposition is toeing the same line in the assembly by not letting the assembly business to proceed.

After a burst of cross argumentation on the floor of the house with the PML-N women joining the party with their chants, it all calmed down relatively and the Speaker commenced the question-answer hour.

The day was reserved for matters and questions regarding the Labour & Human Resource; And (2) Auqaf & Religious Affairs Department, annual activity reports of the Parks and Horticulture Authority, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Lahore, Bahawalpur and Rawalpindi for the year 2015-16 were to be laid before the house. The agenda for the day included the introduction of The Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2018 while the Punjab Charities Bill 2018 (Bill No. 04 of 2018) was to be passed by the house.

However, due to thin attendance the movers of the first two questions were absent from the house so they could not be asked. Right after which, PPP MPA Faiza Malik stood up and pointed out the quorum after arguing that if the Speaker would not allow the opposition to voice their valid concerns, the opposition would not allow the assembly session to continue.

The quorum could not be completed after the five, 15 and 40 minute extension of time and the session was adjourned until Monday. The opposition members marched out of the assembly hall together chanting slogans against Ahad Cheema’s promotion.

Talking to the media outside the assembly, PTI's Mian Aslam Iqbal, flanked by PPP Faiza Malik and others, said the PML-N Punjab government’s utter disregard and disrespect for the accountability bureau cannot be allowed. They alleged that the CM is the real criminal behind the actions of Ahad Cheema while Cheema is just his front man. Faiza Malik demanded that the chief minister should also be arrested for these reasons as he is so fond of claiming credit for every action of the bureaucracy, he should also be held responsible for their falls.