PPP rejects S Punjab Secretariat, demands separate CM, Speaker

LAHORE:Pakistan People’s Party MPA Syed Ali Haider Gillani rejecting the secretariat for south Punjab demanded its separate Chief Minister and Speaker.

On the third day of general discussion on annual budget 2020-21 presented by the provincial government, legislators from different political parties came up with their suggestions. MPAs, including Ali Hyder Gillani, Neelam Hayat, Sania Kamran, Ch Iqbal Gujjer, former Speaker PA Rana Iqbal Khan, Samiullah Khan and others participated in the general discussion on budget.

The proceedings started with a delay of nearly one hour with Deputy Speaker Mir Dost Muhammad Mazari in chair. PPP’s Ali Haider Gillani, who is son of former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gillani and hails from Multan in his speech, slammed the PTI government for its claims of establishing south Punjab within 100 days in 2018. He said it had been 600 days but only the construction was started on secretariat for South Punjab. "We reject the secretariat and demand the government for separate chief minister and the Speaker. We want share in NFC Award" said Ali Haider Gillani.

Ch Iqbal Gujjer, the PML-N MPA from Gujranwala, who is also the senior most member of the House having elected for multiple terms, while speaking on the floor of PA, said the government, instead of targeting opposition should mend its ways and start to deliver. He held the government responsible for the present crisis and also grilled it over wheat and sugar crisis.

Rana Iqbal Khan, former Deputy Speaker of PA in his speech stated that it was Shahbaz Sharif who addressed the issue of Dengue within 93 days, a target that even Sri Lankan experts couldn’t achieve. He said it was unfortunate that PTI couldn’t provide any relief to the population. PTI’s Neelam Hayat in her speech termed the budget a draft of fresh air in present circumstances. She described it as a budget of common man who had been kept at bay from the sword of taxes. PML-N’s Samiullah Khan while participating in the budget discussion said it was astonishing enough that the budget presented by that minister whose assets were Rs60 million before coming into power but now reached at Rs100 billion. Deputy Speaker adjourned the session for a brief period due the absence of Finance Minister from the House during the general discussion on budget.