ISLAMABAD: Amidst protest by the opposition the National Assembly on Thursday adopted two Resolutions – creating a new province in Punjab and posing confidence in the Prime Minister.
The sitting, which started two hours and 25 minutes behind schedule, adopted the first Resolution on creating the South Punjab province while the second reposed confidence in the Prime Minister. Both resolutions were tabled by the Minister for Law and Justice Farooq Naik.The PMLN legislators continued their protest demanding resignation of the Prime Minister after his conviction by the apex court in the contempt case and said that the government did not take them into confidence prior to bringing the resolutions to the floor of the lower house of the Parliament.
“Go-Gilani-Go” echoed strongly in the Lower House of parliament when Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza reacted promptly to opposition members who threw the agenda of the day during their protest.Federal Minister for Law and Justice Farooq H. Naik, while presenting the resolution in favour of the Seraiki Province, said the people of southern Punjab have always been deprived from their rights, and that the establishment of a province in Southern Punjab was indispensable.
Presenting the resolution regarding Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, the Federal Law Minister Farooq Naik said that the National Assembly admitted complete confidence in the premiership of Yusuf Raza Gilani.After the speech of the Law Minister, votes were cast in the National Assembly after which the house passed the two resolutions with clear majority.Following the passage of the said resolutions, the MNAs from Pakistan People’s Party patted desks while the opposition-members tore off the documents of the resolutions and chanted slogans against the Federal Law Minister.
While the slogans were being chanted, the MNAs from PPP Akhunzada Chattan and Jamshed Dasti entangled with the parliamentarians from PML-N, namely Abid Sher Ali and Capt. Safdar.Meanwhile, senior leaders of PPP smelled the delicacy of the situation and asked the Deputy Speaker, National Assembly to adjourn the session in order to avoid rumpus.The session of the House has been adjourned till Friday, 10:00 am. Meanwhile according to FAFEN a total of 186 legislators present at the start and 206 when the sitting was adjourned. A maximum of 228 Members were observed at any time of the sitting.The Prime Minister did not attend the proceedings while the Leader of Opposition attended the sitting for 28 minutes.Out of the 20 questions to be taken up during the Question Hour, only five were put up and responded by the relevant ministries. Seven Supplementary questions were asked during the sitting. – Onlinenews
