Punjab Assembly on Monday unanimously passed Rs 182.389 billion supplementary budget of 2008-09 in the absence of the opposition, as it boycotted the session after the Punjab Prison Minister attacked an opposition female MPA and thus led to mayhem in the House.
After Sardar Athar Hasan Khan Gorchani, a PPP MPA from southern Punjab, raised the issue of Seraiki province through a point of order, the mood of the House became tense and the situation further aggravated when Mohsin Khan Leghari of Q-League severely criticised PPP for alleged diversion of water to Sindh.
Amidst all this, Bushra Nawaz Gardezi of Q-League, also hailing from southern Punjab, displayed a placard that contained provocative anti Punjab Chief Minister slogan, which proven to be last straw on camel's back. This was enough to outrage the N-League legislators, but the response of Punjab Prison Minister Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor left the House stunned, as in a flash of light he jumped on to the opposition benches and physically attacked the lady with the placard. While trying to snatch the placard, he pushed Bushra down on the benches.
Both the members of the treasury and opposition benches intervened and tried to stop the Minister, but the situation worsened when the budget copies were hurled at each other and abusive language was exchanged. The legislators that are supposed to resolve problems of the people, by whom they have been elected, turned the floor of the House in to a battlefield, just to show their loyalty to their leader. It seems that in the mind of the Punjab Prison Minister this was the best way to show loyalty to his leader.
This was indeed a sad day for the House to witness such an unprecedented behaviour, but shameful, in the august House, as never before in the history of the Punjab Assembly a lady was assaulted by fellow legislator. The opposition, rightly, demanded the sacking of the minister. In such a situation Speaker Rana Iqbal failed to put the House in order and found himself helpless. Finding no respite from anywhere, the opposition boycotted the session.
Forward block leader Mian Atta Muhammad Maneka also left the House with the opposition after condemning the incident. He said some members of the House have acted against the norm of democracy and morality. He said it was an unfortunate incident that should have been stopped at the start.
The whole incident was sparked by Gorchani's point of order regarding the administrative division of Punjab. He thanked PML-N leader Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa for endorsing the demand of southern Punjab MPAs. He also said their demand for a separate province should not be labelled as conspiracy; it is a genuine demand of the people of southern Punjab.