Punjab Assembly continues debate on Panama Leaks

18 HOURS AGO BY HASSAAN AHMED

Spokesperson of the Punjab government Zaeem Hussain Qadri said that it is wrong to say that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is under fire from the opposition over Panama Leaks.

He was talking to media outside Punjab Assembly after the session on Friday.

For the first time in the political history of Pakistan, a sitting PM has himself constituted a commission and presented himself for accountability, Qadri said.

Earlier, leader of the opposition in Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmudur Rasheed came hard on the ruling party, especially the Punjab chief minister. He said that it was a fact that Shehbaz Sharif is mentally and physically ill as he has started to misbehave publicly.

Rasheed was referring to the action of Shehbaz Sharif when he came out from his podium during a speech and started to punch the table.

“Shehbaz Sharif must resign from the slot of CM due to his deteriorating health and must hand over the reins of the province to someone else from his party,” the leader of the opposition said. He added that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has rejected the commission made to probe Panama Leaks and a rigorous street protest would be launched by the party in the coming days.

On Friday, the session of Punjab Assembly was chaired by Deputy Speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani and pre-budget debate continued in which lawmakers from both the opposition and ruling parties gave their suggestions regarding the upcoming budget.

Sardar Waqar Hassan Mokal, a Pakistan Muslim Leaugue-Q (PML-Q) lawmaker hailing from Kasur, said that the proposals of parliamentarians to prepare the budget of province are thrown in the dustbin and the bureaucracy makes the budget instead of lawmakers. He was of the view that the Rangers and army have entered the province to save it from terrorists. “The launch of army operation in the province is a proof that police has miserably failed to do its job,” he added.

“I suggest that the budget of police must be transferred to army and rangers as both of them are doing its job,” he said.

PML-N MPA Makhdoom Hashim Jawan from Rahim Yar Khan also criticised the government in his speech and said that he has not seen even a single filtration plant of the Saaf Pani Project in his district despite the tall claims of the government.

“Hundreds of people, including children, are dying in South Punjab because of hepatitis as there is no potable water there,” he said.

Chaudhry Abdul Razaq Dhillon of PML-N delivered a flattering speech in favor of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2016/04/09/city/lahore/punjab-assembly-continues-debate-on-panama-leaks/