LAHORE: Political crisis has further deepened in Punjab and two separate sessions of the provincial assembly were summoned for presenting the annual budget for the fiscal year 2022-23 on Wednesday.
Yesterday, the provincial government led by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) failed to unveil the Punjab budget 2022-23 on the second consecutive day due to a deadlock between the ruling party and the opposition.
Yesterday’s PA session had been resumed after a delay of 8 hours and 42 minutes from its prescribed time as the proceedings were scheduled to be started at 1:00 pm, Tuesday.
Speaker PA Pervaiz Elahi had asked Awais Leghari to present the annual budget but he remarked that Governor Baligh-ur-Rehman prorogued the session and he could not deliver his budget speech, otherwise, it would be illegal and constitutional. The speaker then adjourned the session till 1:00 pm, Wednesday.
Later, the Punjab governor summoned the PA session at the Aiwan-e-Iqbal at 2:00 pm today which is likely to be chaired by the deputy speaker, whereas, Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Elahi refused to accept the decision.
The speaker said that the governor is bound to write a letter to the assembly’s secretary for proroguing the PA session as per the rules and the deputy speaker could not chair the session in the presence of the speaker.
PML-N MPA Samiullah Khan told an English daily that the speaker would be invited to chair the session at the Aiwan-e-Iqbal and if he did not accept the invitation, the deputy speaker would chair it as per the rulers. He also criticised Pervaiz Elahi for bulldozing the rules of the House.
For the first time, two separate sessions of the Punjab Assembly will be held today.
It was learnt that PML-N lawmakers could also bring a no-trust motion against Speaker Pervaiz Elahi in the session summoned at Aiwan-e-Iqbal today.