News
Saturday, June 02, 2012
Slaps and scuffles overshadow budgetBy Tanveer Ahmed
ISLAMABAD: Presentation of the federal budget for 2012-13 in the National Assembly on Friday was a rowdy mess when members from the ruling PPP and opposition PML-N scuffled and traded blows.
Although the opposition’s protest was expected in view of strained relations between the two parties, the charged atmosphere pushed lawmakers towards a physical brawl.
Sloganeering by the PML-N members even made the speech of Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh inaudible, making Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and other members of the PPP put on headphones to listen to it. The PPP seemed prepared right from the beginning of the session to counter the PML-N, when it lined up its members in front of the finance minister as a shield. The PPP’s strategy turned productive, as when some PML-N members tried to approach the minister, they were stopped and pushed back, which resulted in a brawl and trading of punches between the rivals.
PPP’s Javed Iqbal Warraich even slapped Capt Safdar of the PML-N, who tried to reach the finance minister, triggering a fistfight between Warraich and some PML-N members, who rushed to rescue Safdar. An enraged Warraich even grabbed PML-N’s Shakeel Awan and pushed him away when the latter attempted to approach Dr Hafeez. PPP’s Humayun Aziz Kurd meted out the same treatment to PML-N’s Salahuddin Dogar. Senior members of both parties intervened to pacify their colleagues, but all in vain. PPP members had also encircled Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.
Other opposition parties – the JUI-F and PPP-Sherpao –didn’t join the protest and remained glued to their seats.
Meanwhile, the PML-N walked out from the Upper House of parliament when the budget was presented. Senate Chairman Nayyer Hussain Bokhari refused to give the floor to the PML-N’s Zafar Ali Shah who wanted to speak on a point of order.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk