MUZAFFARABAD: ForeignMinister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari could not stifle chuckles in the opening part of his address to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Assembly here on Monday as he alluded to an anomaly raised by an opposition PTI lawmaker that both the offices of the prime minister and leader of the opposition were held by the treasury benches under the new political dispensation in the state.

After the inception of the present assembly in 2021, senior PPP leader Chaudhry Latif Akbar was notified by the assembly secretariat as leader of the opposition on the recommendation of the combined opposition, comprising PPP and PML-N. This office enjoys perks and privileges equivalent to a cabinet member.

On April 20, when Chaudhry Anwarul Haq got elected as the new leader of the house with the support of the opposition he inducted one each lawmaker from PPP and PML-N in his hitherto two-member cabinet and nominated Mr Akbar as coalition government`s candidate for the vacant slot of speaker.

However, since the speaker`s election has been held by the coalition government in abeyance, Mr Akbar continues to occupy the office of the leader of the opposition.

Interestingly, around 12 or so PTI members, who chose to sit on opposition benches, had informed acting speaker Chaudhry Riaz Gujjar, who himself belongs to the PTI, in black and white about their decision nominating Khawaja Farooq Ahmed as the new leader of the opposition, the assembly secretariat, still under the influence of PM Haq, has however been dilly-dallying over the issuance of a notification to this effect.

On Monday, when the acting speaker gave floor to Mr Bhutto-Zardari, after all parliamentary leaders, including the prime minister and the `leader of the opposition` had delivered speeches to welcome him, PTI`s witty lawmaker Chaudhry Maqbool Gujjar stood up and raised a point oforder.`You have come to this house for the first time, and we are happy over this because we hold you in high esteem, began Mr Gujjar in his signature style in Punjabi language.

`I have been a member of this assembly in the past well. But this has also happened for the first time that both the prime minister and the leader of the opposition are from the same [treasury] benches,` he said, evoking roars of laughter not only from his fellow legislators but also from the visitors` galleries.

He concluded with some Punjabi verses, `Oh God your nonchalant ways; while the calves are without a small bundle of hay, cats are consuming milk and cream.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari began his speech by mentioning and thanking the president, premier and all parliamentary leaders for providing him the historic opportunity of being the first foreign minister to address the Assembly.

However, when he mentioned the `leader of the opposition,` he could not withhold a chuckle and said: `As the honourable member (Mr Gujjar) hasraised a point,Ihope soonelection tothe [vacant] office of speaker will be held so that the office of the leader of the opposition goes to the side that deserves it.

This generated laughter as well as clapping from the opposition benches.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari paused for some moments, and then resumed by appreciating the way the AJK assembly had handled its proceedings and the leaders had delivered their speeches.

`I have been a member of the National Assembly for the past nearly five years.

Hardly there had been a single day when the leader of the house and the prime minister had shown such maturity on this important occasion,` he said, but again chuckled while referring to the leader of the opposition.

Mr Bhutto-Zardari composed himself and added in the same breath: `I believe the Kashmiri lawmakers have proven that they were more mature and serious than their counterpartsin Pakistan and your assembly is running better than that of ours in Pakist an.

Afterwards, he read out a written speech in English.