LAHORE: Punjab Assembly session summoned on a very short notice by the government was adjourned on Wednesday after the house failed to meet the quorum.
The sitting, summoned at midnight by Punjab governor, began with a delay of an hour and nineteen minutes with Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan in the chair. The speaker himself expressed concern over the short notice, noting that many members from distant districts were unable to reach the assembly in time.
Opposition member from Faisalabad Rana Aftab also raised objections to the abrupt summoning of the session, stressing that the assembly should be given at least two to three days’ notice. Shortly after proceedings began, opposition MPA Ijaz Shafi pointed out the lack of quorum.
The bells were rung for five minutes to intimate the assembly members but the attendance remained insufficient and the session had to be adjourned until Thursday. Talking to the media after the session, Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Moeen Riaz Qureshi criticised the government for failing to ensure the presence of its own members in a session it had itself requested. He said this reflected a lack of seriousness within the treasury benches at a time when people were struggling under rising inflation and deteriorating law and order. Qureshi said the opposition had planned to raise several important issues, including the killing of a lawyer in Jhang, but was denied the opportunity due to the government’s inability to complete the quorum.
He alleged that even government members appeared to have lost confidence in their own chief minister, pointing to what he described as a growing disconnect within the ruling coalition. He added that while all prisoners in Adiala Jail are allowed to meet their families, former prime minister Imran Khan continues to be denied this facility, even though a meeting between one of his sisters and the authorities was arranged a day earlier. The session was adjourned till Thursday today.
