Governor Sarwar summons PA session tomorrow

LAHORE:Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar has summoned the Punjab Assembly session in the assembly chambers tomorrow (Wednesday) at 2pm with only 100 members from the treasury and the opposition to take part in the proceedings as a precaution against COVID-19 pandemic.

The previous session called to present budget for the fiscal year 2020-21 was held, for the first time in the constitutional history of the province, at a hotel to ward off spread of corona virus by adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

According to the gazette notification, issued by the assembly secretariat here Monday, it would be 23rd session of the 17th Punjab Assembly which would continue for two weeks and discuss implementation of the SOPs during the Eidul Azha and Muharram observance.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi is expected to chair the session. Earlier on Monday, the speaker chaired a video-link meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of the Punjab Assembly which was attended by Law Minister Raja Basharat, MPAs Muhammad Muawiyya, Syed Abbas Ali Shah, Opposition MPAs Malik Nadeem Kamran, Khalil Tahir Sindhu, PA Secretary Muhammad Khan Bhatti and DG Parliamentary Affairs Enayatullah Lak.

It was decided that since the assembly chambers lacked space, 52 members from the treasury and 48 opposition members will take part in the session, while the rest would watch the proceedings on television screens installed in the assembly cafeteria and the Committee Room.

The opposition will not point out quorum during the session while the opposition members will record their protest while standing in their seats instead of making a huddle in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

The meeting decided to wear masks and use hand sanitizers during the session while the members not wearing masks will be disallowed to attend the session and the Business Advisory Committee also decided to follow all the SOPs.

The participants in the video-link meeting congratulated Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on successful conduct of the budget session outside the assembly chambers in a hotel. The meeting also offered Fateha for the departed soul of opposition MPA Azma Bukhari