Punjab opposition MPAs observe ‘black day’
PA prorogued; joint opposition submits requisition for session
By our correspondent
LAHORE: As the Punjab Assembly session was prorogued on Friday morning, the opposition observed a black day against what they called the anti-democratic and stubborn attitude of the government breaching the privileges of the 27 opposition MPAs by victimising them through police torture and arrests.
The remaining opposition MPAs led by MMA parliamentary leader Ch Asghar Gujjar continued to protest against the government inside the House and held a protest demonstration outside the assembly building soon after the session was prorogued. There they found the newsmen who were on a boycott of the proceedings since Wednesday following police torture on them.
The opposition members raised slogans against President Musharraf and LFO, and demanded that the government must respect the rights and privileges of the elected members. They were wearing black armbands like the journalists.
Talking to newsmen, MMA parliamentary leader Ch Asghar Gujjar said the black day was observed all over the country and members from both sides in NWFP Assembly and Sindh Assembly staged boycotts during the sessions to express solidarity with the elected members who were being deprived of their rights in Punjab Assembly.
He said the opposition again offered the government to resolve the issue by holding talks but the government displayed inflexibility and turned down their request. He said opposition had already offered many times during the current session to normalise the situation but government had made it a point of prestige not to allow the members into the House. “It appears they are crying like babies on this trivial issue,” he said.
Asghar said: “Today we again offered that the House be adjourned for 15 minutes and our ellows be called in so that the tension could be released, after which both sides should hold talks to find a solution to the issue. But law minister rejected that.”
He said neither the speaker nor the government had any legal, moral and constitutional justification for barring opposition members from the session while sparing the treasury members.
He said their struggle would continue till the supremacy of law, constitution and the democracy. The members who staged the demonstration included Nazim Hussain Shah, Ihsanullah Waqas, Arshad Mehmood Baggu, Tanvir Kaira, Shafqat Abbasi, Yawar Zaman, Faiza Ahmad, Uzma Bukhari, Farzana Raja, Nayyar Lone and Parveen Masood.
The joint opposition, giving no respite to the treasury, has submitted a requisition to call the assembly session with 110 signatures on it. Sources in the opposition told The News that the decision to submit the requisition was finalised in a meeting of heavyweights of the joint opposition held Friday at the assembly chambers, which was chaired by opposition leader Qasim Zia.
The meeting decided not to give any respite to the treasury as they had been taking the opposition members lightly and paying no heed to their demands. It was also decided that the opposition has three-point agenda for the next session after which the budget by the government will be accepted, the sources said, adding that the opposition was not backing out from its demand of presenting a resolution on LFO, which was rejected by the treasury after which the whole issue of illegal detention and arrest of opposition members started.
The opposition said the LFO topped the agenda for the next session and unless the government allows them to present it, the next issue will not be taken at any cost. And if the government allows them to present the resolution, then the second point to be raised by the opposition will be breach of privilege of the opposition. Several privilege motions had already been moved with the assembly secretariat by the opposition members against their arrest and detention.
The issue of development fund, which was the bone of contention between the opposition and treasury, has come down to third place. The sources said despite getting funds, the MMA MPAs were fully supporting the opposition’s stance and were of the view that that funds should be given to all the MPAs without any discrimination.
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