The government on Monday laid Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority (Amendment 2019), The Rawalpindi Women University (Rawalpindi Ordinance) and introduced The Punjab Workers Welfare Fund Bill 2019 in Punjab Assembly. Earlier, the Opposition members in Punjab assembly criticised the government for poor law and order and bad governance in the province.
The session started two hours fifteen minutes late on Monday under the chair of speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervez Elahi.
Former speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Muhammad Iqbal while speaking on the floor of House demanded that the government should issue the production order of leader of opposition Hamza Shahbaz. He said it is useless for the opposition to sit in the House without opposition leader.
Speaking on a point of order, former education minister Rana Mashhood said the government is trying to snub the voice of opposition. "We will not allow the government to do so." He said the PML (N) government had made records of good governance but during the tenure of PTI government governance and law order situation worsened.
PML (N) MPA Awais Laghari also criticised government for not issuing the production order of Hamza Shahbaz. He said Hamza is not representing opposition but he is representing the people of his constituency. He also criticised government for increasing the prices of fertilizer.
Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentary leader Syed Hassan Murtaza while speaking on the floor of House said it is the time that we should get united. It is unfortunate that government parliamentarians are not serious. Hassan Murtaza stopped his speech on interruption of PTI MPA Uzama Kardar. Speaker Pervez Elahi warned Uzma to refrain from interrupting Hassan Murtaza.
He said that proceedings in the case of Faryal Talpur is going very slow. He also said economy is sinking and ministers are criticising opposition. He said Peoples Party demands justice for Nazwaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Hamza Shahbaz and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
The speaker adjourned the session till 11.30 am Tuesday after the quorum was pointed out by opposition.
Earlier, while addressing the press conference Punjab Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Welfare Raja Bashart said that the opposition should play its role in the Assembly, regardless of personal interests, and should fulfil the purpose for which the people have sent it to the House. He regretted over the attitude of the opposition, saying that when the President of Pakistan was speaking on the Kashmir issue in his address in the National Assembly last day, the opposition was displaying pictures of Nawaz Sharif jailed on corruption charges. He said that protesting is the right of the opposition but that should not affect the Assembly's basic functions. "We try our best to keep the opposition together with the government but the opposition should also come to the House and play a positive role."
Raja Bashart said that during the first year of the government of Punjab, the law department progress was excellent. He said that 6 important ordinances and 14 bills are being submitted for approval in the current session of the Assembly. "We have already done record legislation and will try to pass as many laws as possible in the new parliamentary year," he said. He said that it is hoped that the media will continue its positive role for the people-friendly legislation.
Earlier, President Lahore Press Club Arshad Ansari gave special thanks to the Chief Minister and Law Minister of Punjab for their personal interest that the problems of the journalist colony were being solved seriously. Presidents of the Press Gallery Association Mian Muhammad Aslam and General Secretary Faizan Bangash were also present on the occasion. At the conclusion of the briefing, lunch was given in honor of journalists by Raja Bashart.