‘Govt does not need Opp to run the assembly’

Staff Report

LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Raja Muhammad Basharrat on Friday said the provincial government had a two-thirds majority in the House and the government could run the assembly proceedings and adopt legislation without the opposition’s help.

Talking to reporters in his Punjab Assembly chambers, Mr Basharrat said that despite the majority, the ruling party wanted to develop a good working relationship with the opposition but they were not cooperating with the treasury benches to resolve the people’s problems. He said the opposition had a right to protest but it should be “within the limits of parliamentary traditions”.

The minister said Speaker Chaudhry Mohammad Afzal Sahi had to debar a few opposition members from the current session of the assembly “due to their non-serious attitude”. Commenting on the opposition’s protest on the Legal Framework Order (LFO) and president’s military uniform, the minister said the assembly was not a proper forum for it. He said the ruling party was in favour of the president and the minority could not overpower them. Mr Basharrat said the government could run the three-day assembly proceedings without the participation of the opposition and they could get the budget passed in the same way.

Punjab Education Minister Mian Imran Masood endorsed the law minister’s views and said the government “had no need” of the opposition to conduct the assembly’s session. “The opposition should take care of the prestige and supremacy of the parliament,” he said.

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