ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly witnessed on Friday another verbal clash this time between leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the main opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, compelling Speaker Ayaz Sadiq to adjourn the session well before the scheduled time.

The PPP`s bid to point out the quorum triggered the verbal duel between Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique of the PML-N and PPP`s Dr Nafeesa Shah.

Mr Rafique, who joined the NA proceedings after an hour-long question hour session, was told by the speaker that many members wanted to ask questions about the performance of Pakistan Railways.

Availing a chance to speak, Usman Khan Tarakai expressed concern over encroachment of railways land in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. `Even railway bridges are being encroached upon by vendors,` he added.

The minister said most of the railways land had been encroached upon during martial law regimes, adding that he had imposed a complete ban on issuance of 99-year lease of land.

However, he admitted that he was still issuing short-term lease of up to seven years. This had increased the railways` revenue f rom land leases by three hundred times, he claimed.

Mr Rafique lost his temper when Shahjahan Baloch of the PPP pointed out the quorum as the minister was about to answer a question of Sahibzada Tariqullah of Jamaat-iIslami (JI) who asked what action had been taken against of ficials of the min-istry involved in encroachment of the railways land.

`Let me reply to the allegations levelled against my ministry. The PPP is introducing a new trend in the house to keep the government side silent by pointing out the quorum,` Mr Rafique said. `Do not dictate me; I know parliamentary norms better than any opposition parties` member.

PPP`s Nafeesa Shah tried to respond to what the minister stated, but her mike was not switched on. `Please do not misbehave and scream at us, we are exercising our right,` she said.

Another PPP leader, Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani, suggested to Mr Rafique sarcastically that he should ask his ruling party`s colleagues to attend the session regularly so as to avoid chances of incomplete quorum.

The speaker asked the minister to reply to the question of the JI member any other time. `The atmosphere of the house is going to be tense and it is better to adjourn the house,` he said.

The house was adjourned till Monday.

The speaker also lashed out at the ministers over the low presence of members of the treasury benches in the house.

The speaker ordered that a pordon of a monthly salary of Minister for Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Tariq Fazal Chaudhry be deducted for being absent since most of the questions asked during the question hour session related to his ministry`s affairs.

The proceedings started in a normal way, but the speaker got angry when no one was available to answer written questions related to the CADD ministry. `This is not the way; not only the ministers but parliamentary secretaries are also absent today,` he regretted.

The speaker said Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab was absent too. `This is not the waythat you do not come to the house,` the speaker said while snubbing Law Minister Zahid Hamid who wanted to say something on the quorum issue.

The railways minister vehemently reacted to the stern notice taken by the speaker and argued that since sessions of both the National Assembly and the Senate began simultaneously, it was difficult for the ministers to answer the questions of parliamentarians at the same time in the two houses.

He said it of ten happened that sessions of the two houses were held at the same time and same questions were asked in both houses during question hours.

Mr Rafique asked the speaker to resolve this issue by sitting with Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani.

At this, the speaker asked Sheikh Af tab to contact the Senate secretariat and ensure that there should not be a similar agenda of the two houses when their sessions take place simultaneously.

PML-N meeting Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has convened a meeting of the PML-N`s parliamentary committee on Monday, apparently to ensure presence of the party`s members in the NA when a bill seeking revival of military courts will be passed.

According to the PM`s spokesman, the meeting has been called to discuss important national issues and party affairs.

The bill tabled in the lower house on March 10 is expected to be passed unanimously after all opposition parties gave a go-ahead to the government at a meeting of parliamentary parties on Thursday.

The bill seeking extension of military courts` tenure for another two years will be presented in the Senate on Monday and it is expected to be passed by the upper house on Tuesday.