Punjab PA calls for punishing May 9 culprits

LAHORE: In a turbulent session of the Punjab Assembly, presided over by acting Speaker Zaheer Chanar, a resolution demanding punishment for those responsible for the May 9 tragedy was unanimously approved.

The session was marked by chaos as the opposition vocally protested against the police actions, accusing them of targeting their leaders and disrupting political activities.

At the onset, opposition members clamoured for the presence of IG Punjab in the House to explain the alleged police overreach.

Rana Aftab vociferously claimed that the Punjab police were obstructing the Assembly’s proceedings through intimidation tactics. He alleged that opposition leaders were being arrested indiscriminately and cases were being registered against them, branding the police as a “gangster force.”

The opposition’s demand to summon IG Punjab was flatly rejected by the government, leading to an uproar with slogans decrying the government and police actions. The opposition pointed out the quorum three times, successfully breaking it twice, but the government managed to restore quorum on the third attempt.

Despite the commotion, the government successfully passed several bills, including the Civil Servants Punjab, Police Order 2024, and the Agricultural Marketing Regulatory Authority Punjab. The pivotal moment came when IPP member Shoaib Siddiqui presented the resolution concerning the May 9 tragedy, which was passed unanimously. The resolution called for the strict punishment of those involved, including the masterminds behind the incident.

Additionally, a resolution by government member Iftikhar Chhachhar was passed, urging institutions to respect their boundaries and avoid interference in legislative and governmental affairs.

The Assembly also approved a resolution to ban the use of plastic bags. Following the completion of the legislative agenda, the session was adjourned until 2:00pm on June 13.