Monday, March 19, 2012

House not taken seriously

Creating an embarrassing situation for the Government, entire Opposition staged a walkout during the second sitting of Legislative Assembly today forcing Deputy Speaker, Sartaj Madni, to adjourn the House for 11 minutes. The opposition protested against the failure of treasury benches to take the business of the House seriously among whom only 10 members including two Ministers were present.

Taking a serious exception to the treasury benches for not taking the House seriously, the PDP’s Peer Mansoor stood up from his seat and raised a Point of Information. He pointed towards Deputy Speaker, Sartaj Madni, saying that Treasury Benches are not taking the House seriously as only 10 members from ruling alliance were present in the House while the number of opposition members was 21.

He was supported by his party colleague Ch Zulfkar who also stood up from his seat saying that they would stage walkout, as Government was not serious in running the House. Meanwhile, all opposition members including those of BJP, its rebel group and Panthers Party also stood up from their seats and started arguing with Deputy Speaker saying that they would stage a walk out in protest against the non-seriousness of the Government in running the House.

Some of the members also came near the Well and started arguing with Sartaj Madni. Though the Deputy Speaker pleaded with the members not to stage a walkout appealing them to take their respective seats, they refused to budge. "Please take your seats’’ repeated Deputy Speaker but the opposition members did not relent and staged a walkout forcing him to adjourn the House at 1646 hours for 11 minutes. The House later assembled at 1657 hours.

In the meantime, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Rural Development, Ali Mohammed Sagar, along with Minister of Transport and CAPD Qamar Ali Akhoon, entered the House. Sagar too tried to appeal the members to take their seats but to no avail. Even the NC chief whip and Advisor to Chief Minister, Mubarak Gul, persuaded the opposition members not to leave as members of ruling alliance were on their way to House but it did not convince them.

Later when House resumed its business at 1657 hours and the Deputy Speaker asked the Minister to reply the grants, the PDP MLAs, Javed Mustafa Mir and Peer Mansoor, again staged a walkout. The two MLAs protested against the Deputy Speaker for not allowing them to speak on grants.

Mir, who stood up from his seat protested that he will stage walkout if he was not allowed to speak on the grants. He was followed by Peer Mansoor.

The Deputy Speaker said that his party had given the list of three members and all of them spoke on grants. He, however, asked the members that they can raise their point after the Minister’s reply. This was not agreed to by Mir who said that he had to make an important disclosure in the House, as there is a big scam in Education Department as huge funds are being received from Centre on the name of Madrassas and swindled.

Pointing towards Deputy Speaker, Mir said that he was not allowed to speak but he would prove it on the floor of the House later and staged a walk out along with Peer Mansoor in protest.

Earlier NC MLA Mohammed Ashraf took strong exception to the un-parliamentary remarks of Panthers Party MLA, Harshdev Singh against Minister of Medical Education and Youth Services and Sports, R S Chib who had to reply on grants of Education Ministry.

The MLA said Mr Singh being a highly educated member of the House was not supposed to use such words against the Minister.

However, PDP MLA Basharat Bukhari appealed to the Deputy Speaker that the words used by Mr Singh be expunged from records.

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