Uproar in PA over ‘undue respect, protocol’ to cop

LAHORE: Punjab Assembly witnessed a series of events Friday very rare in the world’s parliamentary history, as the deputy speaker protested against the government’s bias against him for promoting a police official who misbehaved with him instead of punishing.

Besides, the treasury members protested against the deputy speaker in front of his podium and even ministers walked out of the House with treasury members against the deputy speaker.

last month, the same House saw a rare walkout by the treasury benches to protest against the attitude of the opposition members almost unheard of in the parliamentary history, which was followed by another unusual move in which a treasury member pointed out the lack of quorum, leading to the proroguing of the session Sine Die, cutting short the scheduled session by many days.

Friday’s proceedings also signaled the beginning of a gulf between the PTI government and the Punjab Assembly as the government ministers openly criticised the Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Khan Mazari, who was chairing the session, for showing bias against them. On the other hand, the opposition members alleged that government was following the footsteps of military dictators by giving undue respect to the police and administration officials against the elected members which amount to dishonouring the electorate who are considered as sovereign in the parliamentary system of government. The proceedings were also marred by indecent sloganeering from both sides against respective leaderships and total commotion where nothing could be audible. The trouble began right from the start when PPP Parliamentary leader Hasan Murtaza, on a point of order, demanded the presentation of the inquiry report of the House committee headed by the speaker to probe the indecent behaviour by a police officer with the Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Khan Mazari. He criticised the ‘undue respect and protocol’ given to the police officials as they were allowed to override laws and rules, saying it was a shame that orders of the deputy speaker were not carried out against a policeman who was instead promoted to the rank of DSP, that amount to disrespect of this august House and the millions of people who elected it.

Murtaza said police officers were allowed to travel in black windows vehicles, and enter elected assemblies with protocol. While on the other hand, elected members and speakers entering IG police office were subjected to body search in humiliating manner. This bias of the policemen reflected in their ever-growing misbehaviour with elected members. But Law Minister Raja Basharat said he had no written orders or notification about the formation of committee, saying it was the reason the report could not be presented. He said as long as the notification was not there he could not issue notice or give order for written reply from IG and other officials. He objected to the criticism over the government on the issue any further, terming it useless and uncalled for, and adding that nobody would be allowed to hurl insults on the government any more on the matter. However, he assured the House that committee’s report would be presented on Monday.

The PML-N’s leader and former deputy speaker Rana Mashhood said the House unanimously approved the committee which required no further written orders, adding that the decided in the last session was that unless the report of inquiry committee was presented and policeman was punished, the House would not function. Samiullah Khan, Waris Kallu and other opposition members also supported the idea that the House should not function without submitting inquiry report.

Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari expressed sorrow that no punitive action was taken against the culprit police officer who misbehaved with him, but instead was promoted to the rank of DSP. He said summoning the IG Police to the House was no solution, and action must be taken against the culprit police officer. At this moment, the journalists in the press gallery walked out of the House to protest the murder of a journalist Aziz Memon in Sindh, allegedly killed for exposing that participants were hired for joining PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s train march.

Rana Mashhood demanded formation of a commission for Aziz Memon’ s murder probe. The verbal quarreling heated up as both sides began raising slogans against each other’s leadership. The PTI benches mentioned model Ayan Ali of the money laundering fame, while opposition benches raised slogans of Sita White, Tyrian White and alleged bungling of Shaukat Khanum funds by Aleema Khan. They also raised slogans of ‘Sugar thieves and Atta thieves, and wife thieves’. A group of lady members from PTI reached in front of speaker’s podium and raised slogans against him, while ministers Raja Basharat and Mian Aslam Iqbal led the treasury members to walk out of the House. Before leaving, Raja Basharat criticised the attitude of deputy speaker, accusing him of giving floor to opposition members only, and said if that was the mode of running the proceedings, they should walk out of the House and the deputy speaker should keep the House running with the support of the opposition.