LAHORE: Imprisoned PTI founder Imran Khan drew attention in the Punjab Assembly on Thursday when a portrait of the former PM, positioned on the opposition leader’s seat, sparked chaos in the house. This led to a walkout by treasury members after the chair declined to intervene.
During the budget session’s resumption on Thursday, Deputy Speaker Malik Zaheer Iqbal Channar presided over the session. PML-N lawmakers Malik Waheed and Bilal Yameen protested upon noticing Mr. Khan’s portrait on opposition leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachhar’s seat.
Raising a point of order, they urged the chair to remove the portrait of a person who had been convicted and was still in custody. They argued that displaying the image of a convict violated assembly rules.
However, the chair encouraged the protesters to engage in the budget debate instead of raising points of order. Nevertheless, the two PML-N members persisted with their protest, disrupting proceedings and eventually walking out when the deputy speaker refrained from taking action against the portrait.
This led to further walkouts by some treasury bench members, resulting in a shouting match between PML-N and PTI lawmakers, now aligned with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
Interestingly, this marked one of the first instances in parliamentary history where members of one party, in this case, the SIC, voiced slogans in support of a non-parliamentary party — the PTI — within the house.
Opposition leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachhar criticized the boycotting MPs, alleging their intolerance and emphasizing that the portrait issue didn’t warrant a ruling from the chair.
He pointed out that those opposing the PTI leader’s portrait had depicted their leader (Nawaz Sharif) on Ramadan Package hampers, yet were sending him back to London as his party allegedly rejected him.
Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman appealed to the MPs who left to return and participate in the budget debate. The deputy speaker instructed Food Minister Bilal Yasin to bring back the protestors to the house.
However, failing to restore order, the chair adjourned the proceedings for 10 minutes to diffuse the situation.
Remainder of session
Proceedings resumed after the break, with opposition leader Bhachhar initiating the general debate on the budget.
Critiquing the financial plan, he noted the lack of specific allocations for minorities compared to the population rate and criticized the discretionary spending authority granted to the chief minister.
He advocated for the restoration of health cards and endorsed the initiative to allocate funds for facilities like day centers. Bhachhar also called for greater support for women in the informal sector.
He demanded that 15% of the overall development budget be allocated for youth skill training.
PML-N member Baba Phailbus praised the budget and party leadership, highlighting the special Easter package announced by the chief minister and proposing measures to regularize daily wage laborers.
Opposition member Hafiz Tahir Qaisrani lamented rural south Punjab’s widespread poverty and criticized the unequal provision of health facilities, highlighting the construction of a new cancer hospital in Lahore.
Treasury member Sadia Muzaffar described the budget as balanced, reflecting the chief minister’s vision.
SIC MPA Sajjad Waraich proposed converting tube wells and health and education facilities to solar energy to reduce costs, addressing the regional development gap.
Over 18 members participated in the debate on the first day as the chair postponed proceedings for Friday morning.
