ISLAMABAD  - The very first day of the National Assembly session witnessed uproar as the members from treasury and the opposition exchanged hot remarks, which forced the speaker to abruptly adjourn the proceedings.

The lawmakers from PTI and PPP-P shouted slogans against the leadership of each other, tore copies of agenda, and about to engage in physical brawl due to high emotions when the chair immediately adjourned the house.

The proceedings of the house were earlier suspended with an attempt to cool down the tense atmosphere after the fiery speech of PPP-P Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari but it did not work.

The verbal brawl once again started with the resumption of the house, as the charged MNAs from PPP-P did not allow Minister for Energy Umar Ayub to easily speak. The lawmakers from both sides started raising slogans forcing the chair to wind up the proceedings till today (Tuesday).

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal, on a point of order, came down hard on the incumbent government on recent reshuffle, price-hike and increase in prices of commodities.

PPP-P’s chairman, in an emotional tone, remarked the recent reshuffle and removal of ministers could not hide the incompetency of ‘selected prime minister’ of the country. Bilawal, apparently in a sarcastic manner, sought the reasons behind removal of finance minister Asad Umar and information minister Fawad Chaudhry and other from their portfolios.

He said the rulers should seek apology from the people of Pakistan for wasting eight months and doing nothing for the public. He said finance minister was dislodged from portfolio just one week before finalising a deal with the IMF and one month prior to next budget.

“Why finance minister Asad Umar and information minister Fawad Chaudhry (Bhai) were sacked,” asked the PPP-P chairman from government, mentioning an allegation of the enemy of the country was levelled against him. The government needs to take back ministry from the minister, who has connection with proscribed organisations.

He said dictators like Ayub Khan, Zia-ul-Haq and Pervez Musharraf had failed to scare them then how a puppet government could frighten them. He said they would continue to expose anti-poor policies of government.

The lawmakers from treasury benches, interrupting the speech of PPP-P chairman, started raising slogans against him. In response, some MNAs from PPP-P also exchanged hot remarks, raised slogan against the leadership of PTI. The house echoed with the slogans of ‘Go Niazi go, ‘Dictatorship na manzoor’ and other.

Minister for Energy Umar Ayub, responding to the fiery speech of PPP-P’s chairman, strongly criticised the leadership of PPP-P. “We would not allow any member to speak, who would not respect our prime minister,” he said and asked ‘who had formed ‘Al-Zulfikar’ organisation’. He further said the PPP leader was criticising Ayub Khan whereas Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto used to call him as ‘Daddy’.

The minister was interrupted by lawmakers by some PPP-P’s MNAs with their anti-government slogans. Some of them also threw the tore copies of agenda at him. The lawmakers from both sides emotionally engaged in verbal brawl, which forced the chair to adjourn the house.

Resolution against
Sri Lanka attacks

Earlier, the house passed a resolution expressing deepest grief over the multiple terror attacks in Sri Lanka that took place on Easter Sunday. “We salute the resilience of the Sri Lanka people and assure them of our support during these days,” according to the resolution.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad, responding to a calling attention, said that NDMA has dispatched an aid of 204.053 million rupees in form of blankets, tents, plastic sheets, water coolers, food packs to rain-affected areas of Balochistan and Sindh.

The Minister said that the PDM Balochistan has also moved a summary of 280.07 million rupees to help the rain affected people in the province. The chair asked the concerned department to share report of loss due to rains with the house.