Punjab Assembly, chaired by Speaker Rana Mushood, on Saturday passed Rs 44 billion plus supplementary demand for grants for 2007-08. Punjab Finance Minister Tanvir Ashraf Kaira also laid the supplementary schedule of authorised expenditure for 2007-08 in the house.
The opposition, however, continued its boycott of the session. Opposition leader Chaudhry Zaheer-u-Din said the opposition would continue with boycott of the assembly session in future.
Zaheer, commenting on the 2008-09 budget, said that it was made on finance management of the previous provincial government. He said that the present government's 100-day package was "Takleef Package." He was highly critical of hoarding of diesel and high prices of rice and other commodities, and said that ratio of cultivable areas of sugarcane and cotton had been reduced.
The opposition candidate for the slot of the leader of the opposition recalled that former chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, prior to formation of his cabinet, announced the leader of opposition and presented bouquet to him. The opposition leader said it was nowhere in 143 countries that assemblies could run without opposition.
MPA Sheikh Allaudin, on a point of order, said that sugarcane farmers were yet to receive payment of their produce from mill owners. He asked for immediate respite to the small farmers on the issue, and also invited the attention of the house on higher rise of prices of daily use items.
Rana Mushood, on a query by MPA Sajida Mir, said that on the advice of legislators, amendments should be made in the Police Order. He said true democracy had arrived in the country and the government departments should show respect to people's representatives.
MPA Irshad Ahmad Sial complained of over-billing of electricity in the house, and said that this overdoing should immediately be dealt with. On a privilege motion of MPA Abdul Rehman, the chair referred the matter to the special Committee.
MPA Nausher Langrial, on a point of order, demanded constitution of commission on lavish spending of the previous government. The member walked out of the session for not giving him enough time by the chair, but was brought back in the assembly by members. Senior Minister Raja Riaz, on the question of notification of the leader of the opposition, said that opposition had failed to prove its majority on the issue. The chair, after mentioning of lack of quorum by a member, later prorogued the house indefinitely.