Punjab Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution condemning the Nato attack on Pakistan Army's check posts in Mohmand Agency. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Opposition Leader Raja Riaz and parliamentary leaders of PML-Q, PPP and MMA Zaheeruddin Chaudhary, Zulfiqar Gondal and Ali Haider Noor Niazi, respectively, moved the joint resolution condemned the attack.
While reading the joint resolution, the Punjab Law Minister stated: "It is an attack on Pakistan's sovereignty and integrity, which is intolerable. We also fully back the Federal government's decisions of blocking Nato supplies to Afghanistan, boycotting Bonn conference and getting Shamsi Air Base vacated from US." The provincial legislature also expressed solidarity with the Pakistan Army and paid tributes to the martyrs.
While addressing the House, the opposition leader condemned the Nato attack and pointed out that Pakistan has rendered sacrifice more than anyone in the war against terrorism. He also said the government of Pakistan People's Party sided with the people and Pakistan Army on the incident and in future as well attack on the Pakistan's sovereignty will not be tolerated.
PML-Q parliamentary leader Zaheeruddin Chaudhary maintained that mere an apology would not be acceptable; until the Americans give due respect to Pakistan's sovereignty the Nato supply line should remain blocked. He also demanded that the visas granted to the Americans should be verified.
The joint resolution was the highlight of the Monday session that only lasted for two hours. The session started two hours late and prematurely adjourned due to lack of quorum, a curse that resurfaces frequently to embarrass the treasury benches. Apart from question-answer session on excise and taxation department and a few call attention notices, no other government business could be touched.
A PML-Q parliamentarian pointed out the quorum at a point when Deputy Speaker Rana Mashud was about to take up 10 bills, which included The Walled City of Lahore Bill 2011 and The Punjab Local Government (Second Amendment) Bill 2011. Astonishingly, at the time of counting, opposition benchers outnumbered the treasury in the House, as only 12 members of the treasury were present. One of the legislators from the PPP told the Deputy Speaker that the attendance register shows 100 percent presence of MPAs, but only a handful of treasury benchers are present in the House.