LAHORE - The Opposition legislators had to face embracement as the law minister effectively countered their claims of not allowing meeting with former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, saying they should rather blame own leader for denying them the opportunity.

During the budget debate at Punjab Assembly on Thursday, the PML-N legislators criticized the government for not allowing party leaders and workers coming from across the country to meet ex-PM at Kot Lakhpat Jail on the day designated for such meeting.

Before giving his input on the proposed allocation, PML-N’s Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said that the government had not allowed meeting with Nawaz Sharif which was highly condemnable. He said that the authorities humiliated part leaders and workers by keeping them stand in queues for prolonged period. He said that workers come from across the country come to meet party Quaid on Thursday. The government denied them the opportunity on the designated day, he said.

Hina Pervaiz But also raised the issue during her budget speech. She said that even sister of Nawaz Sharif and Dr Adnan Khan (personal physician of ex-PM) were not allowed meeting.

Law Minister Raja Basharat suggested his colleagues from the Opposition benches to read jail manual. He said that ex-PM was meeting far more people than any other prisoner. At the same time, he said, Nawaz Sharif was enjoying more facilities than any other jail inmate. He said that the government has no role in deciding list of visitors. He said that Nawaz Sharif had refused to meet these people.

“Nawaz Sharif is the only prisoner who send list from inside. The government allows meeting to only those whose names are mentioned in that list”, he said while suggesting the Opposition legislators to furnish request now and they would be given permission on Friday. Then, he said, it would be up to Nawaz Sharif to meet these people or not.

Accepting claims of law minister regarding finalization of visitors list from inside the jail, Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman raised the question that how ex-PM could refuse to meet his sister and personal physician.

Presence of Chief Minister’s Spokesman Shehbaz Gill in the official’s gallery again irritated the Opposition. Unlike the last day, the issue did not last long.

On a point of order, Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan drew attention of the chair towards presence of CM’s Spokesman in the official’s gallery. He said that Speaker’s gallery was the appropriate place for such visitors.

Minister for Prosecution Ch Zaheer-ud-Din said that the issue was resolved last day. Unlike the last day, he said, fortunately the Opposition has chosen a batter way this time around.

Like the last three days, budget debate was business as usual with Opposition legislators criticizing the budget while those on the treasury benches terming it the best possible under prevailing economic situation.

Taking part in the debate, Saeed Akbar Niwani said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken bold decisions for putting the country on right track. “Instead of taking popular decisions, he (PM) has chosen the difficult path like a leader”, he said, adding, the recent long term measures would help taking the country out of prevailing crises.

PPP’s Hassan Murtaza said that there was need to evaluate that whether this budget was good for the people or not. “They (PTI legislators) are labeling the previous rulers as thieves. The poor were getting meals during the regimes of thieves. Now they are not getting even meals in the regime of pious people”, he remarked. Referring to the speech of Niwani, he said that leaders always take difficult decisions for the nation. He said that Bhutto had taken bold steps first for taking the country out of mess and then for making Pakistan a nuclear state. The present regime, he said, was putting politicians behind the bars.

“Put everyone in jail. But for God’s sake control increasing exchange rate of dollar and allow common man to live life”, he said, adding, the present government has slashed allocation for every sector. As he pointed out high prevalence of AIDS in Punjab, Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari said that he had listened about large number of cases from Larkana.

Musarrat Jamshed Cheema proposed constitution of a commission for probing alleged wrongdoings of previous rulers. She accused the Sharifs of controlling every business and launching mega projects for taking kickbacks.

Raees Nabeel, Tahya Noon, Sumera, Hinma Pervaiz Butt, Umar Tanvir, Dr Mazhar, Nazir Chohan, Bilal Farooq Tarar, Mahinder Paul Singh and Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman also took part in the debate.

On completion of time, the chair adjourned the session till Friday (today) at 9am.