The ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are still in a defiant mood ahead of Punjab’s budget session that was scheduled to be started at 1:00 pm.
For the first time in history, the budget of Punjab for the next financial year could not be presented on its due date due to mutual rivalry between the government and the opposition. Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi adjourned the budget meeting till 1 pm today.
Due to continuous protests by the opposition and government benches against each other, the budget meeting which was delayed for several hours was adjourned without any action.
June 13 will be remembered as the darkest day in the history of Punjab. According to sources, the government refused to bring IG Punjab and Chief Secretary Punjab into the house, on which the Speaker Punjab Assembly did not allow the presentation of the budget and adjourned the sitting till 1:00 pm.
The PA Speaker Pervaiz Elahi had asked PML-N leader Atta Tarar to go outside the Punjab Assembly’s building while his orders were rejected by the PML-N lawmakers who insisted on his stay there.
At 10:30 pm, Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz entered the Punjab House to which former Provincial Minister Yasmeen Rashid pointed out that the chief secretary and IG did not come.
The speaker ruled that if the chief secretary and IG would come, the budget would not be presented.
Later, the session was adjourned by the PA speaker after PML-N’s Tarar refused to go outside, whereas, IG Punjab and chief secretary had not appeared before the House.
After yesterday’s uncertainty, PML-N and PTI lawmakers are still in a resistance mood as the ruling party rejected to bring the Punjab police chief and chief secretary to the House.
In the latest move, media persons have been barred from entering Punjab Assembly’s press gallery and secretariat. The journalists protested outside the PA building and staged a sit-in there.
At the behest of the Punjab Assembly’s speaker, CM’s security was also stopped outside the building.
After banning journalists’ access to the press gallery, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Ali Haider Gillani said that they will not join the advisory committee’s meeting if anyone stops the media persons from entering the House.
Atta Tarar also condemned the move for banning the journalists from covering the PA budget session.
On the other hand, PML Quaid’s leader Moonis Elahi said that there is no restriction in place for journalists to enter the House.
The current situation has created uncertainty regarding the Punjab budget session once again.