LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly session witnessed pandemonium on Tuesday as the opposition and the treasury benches chanted slogans against each other on the issue of taking vote of confidence by Chief Minister Punjab Pervaiz Elahi and on the issue of dissolution of Punjab Assembly.

The session started with a delay of three hours and three minutes under the chair of the Speaker Punjab Assembly Sibtain Khan. Opposition parties right after the start of the session started chanted slogans against the Punjab government and also tore copies of the agenda. At one point, opposition lawmakers also surrounded the speaker’s dais.

Speaking in the assembly amid the ruckus, PML-N lawmaker Rana Mashhood took a jibe at the ruling PTI saying that after four years, the implementation on the rules started after the verdict of the Lahore High Court (LHC).

He said Punjab CM’s has not required numbers that’s why he is not taking vote of confidence.

Rana Mashhood further said that the people of Punjab are demanding an accountability of Moonis Elahi who ran away after taking millions of rupees from flour mafia.

Responding to PML-N leader, Mian Mahmoodur Rashid criticised Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan sitting in the lobby for interfering in proceedings saying that despite their efforts Pervaiz Elahi will take a confidence vote with the majority.

PTI legislator Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar walked out from the House as a protest against protest against presence of Rana Sanaullah in the House.

“I walked out from the House as a protest against presence of criminal Rana Sana,” he said.

After witnessing high temperature, Speaker Sibtain Khan adjourned session till 3 pm on Tuesday (tomorrow).

Earlier, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) top brass including Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Special Assistant Ata Tarar accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led Punjab government of barring opposition legislators from entering the Punjab Assembly premises.

Addressing a presser outside the Punjab Assembly Ata Tarar said Pervaiz Elahi was reluctant to take the vote of confidence and alleged that Moonis Elahi had run away from the country.

“The Punjab Assembly is not the district council of Gujrat and will not be allowed to do so. The PTI and its allies are fighting over who did more corruption,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023