News
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
PML-N creates rumpus in National AssemblyBy Tanveer Ahmed
ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) staged a rowdy show in the National Assembly on Monday, forcing the chair to adjourn the session, which normally spans two to three hours, within half an hour of its commencement.
The PML-N, which had announced a protest against what it called the non-implementation of the Supreme Court’s order in the contempt of court case against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, earlier in the day attended the House with sizeable strength and created a rumpus, making it difficult for the chair to run the House.
The pandemonium created by PML-N members forced Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi, who was chairing the session, to cut the one-hour question session to 15 minutes, and turned down questions from the PML-N members, who used the session to inquire about the implementation of Supreme Court orders, whenever the speaker gave them the floor.
Opposition members tore the question and answer sheets and raised placards inscribed with slogans such as “Go Gilani Go”, “Corrupt government unacceptable” and “Go Zardari Go”. The PML-N members kept standing at their seats during the entire session and thumped their desks.
The trouble started when PML-N members refused to listen to Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Dr Asim Hussain, saying he seized to be a minister after the conviction of Prime Minister Gilani. The speaker asked Dr Hussain to respond to the questions put to him, but the shouting and sloganeering from the opposition benches made that difficult.
Wearing black bands, the PML-N members jeered Dr Hussain, who was forced to sit down because of the intense protest by the opposition. Despite the agitation, the treasury managed to carry out some legislative business. The speaker, however, had to defer the debate on the presidential address for Wednesday (tomorrow) because of the commotion in the House.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk