Opposition members in the Punjab Assembly Thursday protested against passage of the Punjab Local Government Bill 2013 on Wednesday and later boycotted the session.
The session had started at 12.15pm.
Opposition members wore black armbands to register their protest.
Leader of the Opposition Mian Mehmoodul Rashid said, “It is unfortunate that the treasury benches took a solo flight and passed the bill with their majority.”
He said the opposition had participated in the Special Committee meetings for deliberation on the bill.
“It is regrettable that the proceedings continued till 7pm. The treasury benches passed the bill unilaterally,” he said.
He said there would have been no harm if the treasury benches took two more days discussing the bill.
Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal said, “The opposition participated in the first amendment of the bill. Later, they preferred to participate in their all party conference and skipped proceedings in the house.”
He said regretted that the opposition members left the house to join the APC.
“The Punjab Assembly is not a joke,” he said.
Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Arif Abbasi said the opposition was not allowed to speak on their amendments.
Jamaat-i -Islami’s Waseem Akhtar said that considering the opposition had not been present at Wednesday’s proceedings, the process for passage of the bill should be taken up afresh.
The speaker turned down Akhtar’s proposal and did not allow opposition members to speak on the issue any further.
Rasheed then started in the house against the bill. At 12.35pm, all opposition members walked out of the session.
They staged a protest sit-in in front the Assembly chambers. They were carrying banners and posters bearing messages against the local government bill and partyless elections.
Some of the members also taped their mouths and staged a silent sit-in.
PTI’s Mian Aslam Iqbal organised the protest.
The Punjab Boilers and Pressure Vessels Amendment Bill 2013 passed
Meanwhile, the house passed the Punjab Boilers and Pressure Vessels (Amendment) Bill 2013 passed with majority vote.
Some opposition members had submitted amendments to the bill but in their absence, there was no debate on the amendments.
The session was then adjourned till Friday morning.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 23rd, 2013.