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PPP, PML-Q MPAs walk out of PA

By Rana Kashif

LAHORE: Female MPAs belonging to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) walked out of the Punjab Assembly (PA) session on Monday in protest against the government for not issuing development funds to them.

PPP MPA Saghira Islam raised a point of order in the House and said no funds had been released to female MPAs despite the passage of 18 months. The PPP and PML-Q female MPAs walked out of the session in protest against the ‘anti-women attitude’.

PML-Q MPA Najaf Abbas Sial also joined them, claiming that he was the only male MPA who had not been issued development funds.

While the MPAs were walking out, PML-Q ‘unification group’ member Ejaz Shafi stood up and said female MPAs, especially those elected on reserved seats, had no claim to development funds.

Shafi said the Punjab government did not have enough resources to issue development funds to female MPAs elected on reserved seats.

Speaker Rana Iqbal formed a committee to negotiate with the MPAs who had walked out and to bring them back to the proceedings.

Shafi’s statement also irritated PML-Nawaz (PML-N) female MPAs, who said they would also join the walk-out. The committee brought the MPAs back to the house. Shafi tried to speak again but the female MPAs started chanting slogans against him.

Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Zaheerudin condemned the disrespect of women. Senior Punjab Minister Raja Riaz said every party in the PA would support the rights of women.

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