PA session adjourned over quorum problem

LAHORE:Punjab Assembly was adjourned due to lack of quorum shortly after Question Hour on Friday exposing the growing inability of the PTI government to bring its members to the House and the serious lack of interest in the legislative business by the treasury members. The panel of chairmen member Mian Shafi Muhammad had to adjourn the proceeding for Monday without taking up the official business.

In an unusual display of casual behaviour, two legislators of opposition benches belonging to different parties exchanged hot words and continued to argue unnecessarily on a seemingly non-issue, putting more than one questions by a member on the day’s agenda.

The argument began when PPP’s parliamentary leader Hassan Murtaza remarked that Assembly staff was favouring the PML-N’s Hina Pervaiz Butt by putting more than one questions from her on the agenda while many members could not find even a single question there.

His comments infuriated her and she stood up to criticise him back for several minutes and could not be calmed down despite that many colleagues from both sides tried to soothe her. During the Question Hour regarding Auqaf department, PPP’s Hassan Murtaza pointed out to the chair that the agenda of every day carried two to three questions of Hina Pervaiz Butt while several members failed to get even a single question by them accommodated during the entire session. He commented that it seemed the Assembly staff had special interest in this lady, to which Hina Pervaiz Butt retorted that he had no right to give insulting remarks about her.

“How did you give such remarks about me. You have no right to talk to me like that. I submit questions relating to different departments on daily basis”, Hina Pervaiz Butt shouted. PML-N’s Rana Muhammad Iqbal and some others stood up and tried to cool down her temper but she continued scolding Hassan Murtaza for what she termed indecent remarks about a female colleague.

Parliamentary secretary Taimoor Lali replying to a query of Abida Bibi regarding the rent of Auqaf owned shops said that there was no question of taking less or more than the already fixed rent.

Ch Akhtar Ali said that influential people had grabbed 70-kanal land owned by Mian Mir Darbar. He sought details of government efforts to get the land vacated from illegal occupation.

Taimoor Lali said that notices have already been issued to the illegal occupants. After the decision from district administration, he said, the occupied land would be vacated. He, however, expressed inability to give any timeframe.

To a question about implanting lenses of low quality for eye surgery at Darbar Eye Hospital, he said the government was providing lenses of specific specification and quality to the patients. He said some patients preferred to purchase lenses of their choice from the market from own pockets. He said that such patients were allowed to give own lenses and get surgery at the hospital.

Law Minister Raja Basharat presented special audit report of Lahore Ring Road Authority for the fiscal year 2016-17 which was referred to public accounts committee with the direction of submitting report within one month. PML-N’s Waris Kallu pointed quorum.

As the quorum remained incomplete even after ringing bells for five minutes, the chair adjourned the session until Monday.