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Opposition leaves PA after trading barbs with treasury

By Our Staff Reporter 2016-10-20
LAHORE: The opposition led by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in Punjab Assembly on Wednesday put up a couple of minutes show and left the House as they could not continue because of the round of slogans made by a few women members from the treasury benches.

Opposition Leader Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed stood up on a point of order and chided Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for calling his opposition as `dugdugi wale`, who always try to derail development process in the country.

A few women members on treasury benches did not let the opposition leader speak in peace and started hooting and raising slogans leaving former`s speech less audible.

Condemning prime minister`s statement, the opposition leader said the government had leaked secret National Security Committee meeting`s proceedings and tried to defame the Pakistan Army, which was presenting its lives in their Zarb-i-Azb operationagainst terrorism and terrorists.

The oppositionleaderthencalled all opposition members to raise slogans `Modi ka jo yaar hai -ghaddar hai` and `Gall gali mein shor hai -Nawaz Sharif chor hai` but could not continue the sloganeering match and PTI`s Arif Abbasi pointed out quorum. The treasury members raised slogans `Yahoodi ka jo yaar hai -ghaddar hai`. In fiveminutes, the quorum completed but the opposition did not return.

At another occasion, PTPs Asif Mahmood pointed out quorum but it again completed and the treasury continued completing its business.

Later, talking to media persons outside the Punjab Assembly, opposition leader Mahmoodur Rasheed responded to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif`s speech asking him why he got the record of metro bus and Nandipur power project burnt, if he was not corrupt.

He said the PTPs Nov 2 Islamabadshutdown would lead to a revolution in the country.

Addressing Nawaz Sharif, he said, the PML-N would not even be able to form the government in Punjab in the next general elections. He also reminded the prime minister that potatoes were not being sold at the rate of Rs25 per 1(g but at Rs40 to Rs60.

The opposition leader said the PTI would besiege police stations if the state machinery tried to arrest his party workers.

The Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Blood Transfusion Safety Bill and Punjab Poultry Production Bill 2016 while flattening opposition`s recommendations for further discussion with stakeholders to improve the poultry production bill.

The House also passed four amendment bills as well as introduced The Forman Christian College, Lahore (Amendment) Bill 2016. The House did not take up the Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2016.

Deputy Speaker Shair Ali Gorchani pended all the adjournment motions for a week and referred Inamullah Niazi`s privilege motion to the privilege committee for consideration and report within two months.

Earlier, Communication and Works Minister Tanvir Aslam Malik answered questions related to the communication and works department.