FROM A RINGSIDE SEAT

Nawaz's family was back in the National Assembly after an absence of eight years as Hamza Shahbaz Sharif was elected a new Member at Lahore and took oath as Member of NA on Monday morning. The PML-N members banged desk in delight in the presence of PML-N parliamentary leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
In the House, Hamza made his maiden speech, a privilege reserved for prominent Members. The new Member, dressed in black jacket, cream coloured tie and pant of the same colour, had the appearance of a serious man of intellect, and said at this moment every one should honour the people, as he foresaw 'dawn of democracy' brightening his beloved Pakistan.
Whoever wrote Hamza's speech must have sprinkled it with touching sentiments about his uncle, Nawaz Sharif, as well as sorrow at the martyrdom of Mohtarama Benazir Bhutto.
At the same time he hinted at the togetherness of the alliance between two mainstream parties, Pakistan People's Party and PML (N). While he was speaking he had no idea that according to reports, after a few hours, a court would disqualify Nawaz Sharif from contesting the by-election from Lahore, due on June 26.
The question whether Nawaz Sharif's exclusion from the bye-election would further cement the coalition is looming large on the horizon. In fact, there were a number of uneasy moments in the House. At one time PML-Q leaders questioned the monetary provision for 29 Supreme Court Judges in Clause 18 in the Financial Bill. In their view it was tantamount to nullifying the Supreme Court Judges Act, 1997. They accused the government of introducing a constitutional amendment in the guise of budget, and that the Nawaz League was a partner in this guilt.
Not a happy situation for the PML-N parliamentary leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who dissociated his party from this action, informing every one that the speech which Ayaz Amir made on Sunday expressed the true position, and that his party had cast negative vote (for relevant clause 18 of the Finance Bill, seeking to increase the number of Supreme Court Judges to 29).
This infuriated Raza Hayat Hiraj, who, then, called for Assembly record to enquire how PML-N members had voted, or whether a PML-N Member presented a motion against this clause.
Hiraj was of the view that 'PML-N parliamentary leader's statement is an affront to parliamentary practices,' and should be denied. The PML-Q Member also accused Chaudhry Nisar of "playing to the Press Gallery" for the sake of damage control since the print media had commented on the divergent views of two mainstream leaders, Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif.
It appeared that Hiraj was also looking up to the Gallery to project that his party was ready to move closer to the PPP, perhaps to drive a wedge in the grand coalition.
For some moments, there was a cross talk and angry voices from Members of the two factions of Muslim League. However, later, the House reverted to approving subsidiary budget of the current year (ending June 30, 2008) by the PML-Q as well as the caretaker governments.
Members naturally questioned the over spending in complete disregard of the supremacy of the parliament. Surprisingly, quite a few Members associated with former governments, joined in the refusal, oblivious of the fact that they might also have had a hand in incurring this huge sum.
Finance Minister Naveed Qamar was equally critical of over spending habits. This occurred because financial management was missing from Government Secretaries. But the Minister promised 'a zero amount subsidiary demand next year' and that preparation for the next year's budget would begin from the first quarter, and standing committees would take lead in overseeing spending of each government department.'
Interestingly, the excess expenditure included those incurred in 1996-97 (the period of former caretaker prime minister the late Miraj Khalid) and in 1999-2000, the period when Chief Executive Pervez Musharraf was the head of the government).
Against this background, one might remember political parties that won election on February 18, crying from house tops against granting legitimacy to actions of the past governments. Besides, this Assembly, toying with the idea of making Parliament supreme, is now ready to take responsibility for sundry expenses of the period under military intervention.
After taking up 154 demands, amounting to Rupees one trillion, 90 billion and 890 million, in the afternoon, the House completed its business. Speaker Fehmida Mirza congratulated the Members, including those in the Opposition, Independents as well those from the minority community who had been so gentle that this time the Assembly was spared the ignominy of walkouts.
She was especially pleased with the performance of women members, who were worthy of getting national leadership. She generously granted honorarium to employees of Assembly as well as police, security personnel, and a section of the media.
We hope that the last mentioned (police and security personnel) would get the amount. A police officer we met later complained that the honorarium promised by the former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz last year was still pending.
One does not know the impact the budget would have on the public. However, while returning from the legislature, we came across a number of dismissed employees of Sui Northern Gas, waiting in the hot sun hopeful that Prime Minister Gilani would have called them back in their old jobs. MNA Mehrunnissa Afridi from Peshawar reached and consoled them. Meanwhile, we hear that a delegation of Senate Foreign Standing Committee, led by Sayed Mushahid Hussain, would leave this week for a tour of Vietnam.