LAHORE - Opposition lawmakers yesterday ended the three-day boycott of Punjab Assembly proceedings after apology made by the chair which brought them back to the floor of the House.

As the opposition members could not take part in the pre-budget debate started in their absence last Wednesday, the speaker on request of the opposition leader extended it for further two days. The pre-budget debate was due to be concluded on Monday and now it would continue on coming Wednesday and Thursday.

The treasury members showed least interest in the pre-budget debate and the House was presenting a deserted look during the discussion. However, some treasury legislators boldly pointed out the government’s lack of interest towards their suggestions while finalizing previous budgets. They counted the lack of education and health facilities in their constituencies and demanded allocation of sufficient fund. Some of government lawmakers even went to the extent to term the “pre-budget debate” just a ritual as the government never in past considered their suggestions.

A government legislator Naeem Anwar from Fort Abbas said the people in his areas were even deprived of potable water at a time when government was spending billions of rupees on metro and orange line train type projects.

“We are not against metro and orange train projects but for God’s sake provide drinking water to the people of my constituency,” he said.

Mian Rafique, another treasury member from Toba Tek Singh, came all guns blazing against MNA of his constituency. He went on to level serious allegations of moral turpitude against MNA of his own party Assad-ur-Rehman. The chair expunged inappropriate words uttered by Mr Rafique. He also came down hard on government’s failure to improve irrigation and agriculture.

Khalid Chaudhry from Shorkot demanded fund for Jhang University, saying the government failed to release budget for the proposed education project despite promises.

Treasury lawmakers Nighat Nasir Sheikh, Malik Umer Farooq, Dr Alia Aftab and some other MPAs also demanded funds to improve health, education and agriculture sectors.

The day’s proceedings started one hour and 25 minutes beyond the scheduled time with Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal in the chair.

The treasury benches grilled the ill-prepared parliamentary secretary Muhammad Hassaan Riaz during the question-hour session on Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education in the absence of opposition members.

Rana Iqbal left the chair during the question-hour to hold meeting with the annoyed opposition members. Opposition member Asif Mahmood came to the House during question-hour to point quorum when proceedings were underway under chair of deputy speaker Sardar Sher Ali Gorchani. The quorum completed after ringing bells for five minutes. The counting crossed 100 when the House passed The Punjab Private Educational Institutions (Promotion and Regulation) (Amendment) Bill 2017 in the absence of opposition.

After the passage of the bill, the House resumed the pre-budget debate and Rana Iqbal came back to chair the session. More than 70 per cent government lawmakers disappeared from the House few minutes after the start of pre-budget debate. The opposition members joined the proceedings during the pre-budget debate and were welcomed by the speaker and government members. Rana Iqbal termed the incident which provoked the opposition to boycott the proceedings on Tuesday as bad and sought apology. He also extended the pre-budget debate for further two days on the request of opposition leader.

Mian Manazir Hussain Ranjha held the proceedings as chairman in the absence of speaker and deputy speaker. The session was adjourned till Tuesday (today) at 10am.