Punjab Assembly: Govt, Opp trade barbs over Nawaz decision

LAHORE: The treasury and opposition benches in Punjab Assembly traded barbs on Tuesday over Punjab cabinet’s decision not to extend former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s bail period despite serious health concerns, ending in opposition’s walk out to register protest against, what they called, political victimisation.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, a veteran politician, exhibited excellent traits of statesmanship and command over parliamentary proceedings, which prevented a major pandemonium amidst rising temperature on both sides of the House to maintain a discipline on the floor of the House in an entirely impartial manner.

The Speaker reprimanded PTI member Talat Naqvi for her attempt to fuel the temperatures and badly snubbed her for speaking without the chair’s permission. As he was trying to pacify the sentiments, Talat Naqvi’s unnecessary intervention annoyed him, he warned her, “I shall suspend you from assembly’s proceedings for the day if you tried to speak to disturb the order in the House.”

PML-N lawmaker Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan also lauded Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s great skills at conducting the proceedings of the House in an impartial manner.

Earlier, PML-N senior member and former Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Muhammad Iqbal expressed resentment over Punjab cabinet’s decision to not to extend the period for proper treatment of former three-time premier Nawaz Sharif. “We protest over Punjab government’s attempt to mock the ailment of Nawaz Sharif to gain political mileage,” he said, adding that Nawaz Sharif would immediate return to Pakistan upon his recovery.

PML-N MPA Samiullah Khan criticised the Punjab government for its wrong priorities, saying the provincial cabinet was burning with political vengeance against the opponents instead of providing relief to the poor masses from skyrocketing inflation, poor health and education facilities in the province. The Punjab government’s entire emphasis is on Nawaz Sharif’s non-admission in hospital to prove its point, he said and lashed out at PTI for being “bereft of core human values” and reminded them that they used to even mock the illness of late Begum Kulsoom Nawaz despite being admitted in the hospital. “The PTI’s goons even attacked the hospital in London where Begum Kulsoom Nawaz was admitted,” he added.

He said that PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif was seriously ill as even Prime Minister Imran Khan also validated the veracity of Nawaz Sharif’s illness not just through Punjab government’s own medical board but his independent source of Dr Faisal Sultan from Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital as well.

PML-N MPA Malik Ahmad Khan lambasted the Punjab government for raising unethical questions over the ailment of Nawaz Sharif, saying that the doctors didn’t advise to conduct PET scan of Nawaz Sharif due to his delicate cardiac condition in relation to multiple mercurial medical complexities. “The procedures cannot be performed against doctors’ advice just to satisfy the government, which may endanger the life of Nawaz Sharif,” he added.

While replying to PML-N lawmakers’ criticism of Punjab cabinet’s decision, Law Minister Raja Muhammad Basharat rejected opposition’s charge of political victimisation, saying that Punjab government had acted within the legal framework as Islamabad High Court, in its judgment, had authorised Punjab government to review the extension in bail period with regard to former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s treatment abroad.

“Following IHC’s grant of a bail for eight weeks, Punjab government extended bail period for another eight weeks but still there’s no clear roadmap of Nawaz Sharif’s treatment,” he said, adding that Nawaz Sharif’s personal physician Dr Adnan Khan failed to satisfy the Special Medical Board despite giving him opportunity three times to provide relevant medical reports. He said that the physician expressed his inability to provide further information on the medical board’s seven pertinent questions, claiming the earlier submitted medical reports as “conclusive.”

“The Punjab government in the presence of head of the medical board took Nawaz Sharif’s personal physician on Skype but he failed to provide the required details,” he said, adding that the physician categorically denied lining up the patient for cardiac procedure. “It also exposed contradiction in the viewpoints of the party and the medical team, as PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah Khan claimed Nawaz Sharif having been lined up for cardiac procedure on February 24,” he added.

Raja Basharat further said that Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif had remained prime minister and chief minister three times each, respectively, but there was not a single precedent during their entire rule where a prisoner was allowed to travel abroad for treatment. “As Punjab government is answerable to people of Punjab, therefore, it cannot arbitrarily extend the bail period of Nawaz Sharif for an indefinite period of time,” he said, adding that the PML-N could challenge the decision in the court. “If court gives the verdict to extend the bail period, Punjab government will have no objection,” he added.

Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi concluded the debate by saying that, as both treasury and opposition had presented their points of view, it was only fair for PML-N to have recourse to court for seeking relief as parliament was not a decision making forum. Following the Speaker’s ruling, the PML-N walked out of the assembly.

After protesting in the House, PML-N legislators, led by Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz, staged a demonstration at the PA stairs to condemn the Punjab government’s decision “based on political vengeance to politicise the illness of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif.” They chanted slogans against the ruling party and in favour of PML-N supreme leader.

Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz, earlier however, stayed away during the proceedings of the House.

The Speaker, however, observed that PML-N must have returned after registering their token protest especially because the session was called on the opposition’s requisition.

He, however, ordered continuation of the proceedings as lawmakers unanimously passed two resolutions on Private Members’ Day including “The Green International University Bill 2020” and recognising of Kabaddi team’s achievement of winning Kabaddi World Cup 2020 by beating arch rival India in the final.

The Speaker referred “The Green International University Bill 2020” to parliamentary committee on higher education to review bill and present the report in two months.

The Punjab Assembly also unanimously paid tribute to the Chaudhry Zahoor Ealhi for founding the Kabaddi Federation and recognised the efforts of Chuahdyr Shujaat Hussain, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Chaudhry Shaafay Hussain for patronising the Kabaddi Federation that eventually enabled in winning the Kabaddi World Cup 2020. The PA advised Punjab government to honour to reward the Kabaddi team and the coaching and other staff of Kabaddi Federation for their achievement in line with the recognition of cricket team for a similar achievement.

Later, the Speaker prorogued the session.