LAHORE   -  Speaker Punjab Assembly Mohammad Ahmad Khan Tuesday took strong exception to the Opposition’s decision to boycott the Assembly session requisitioned by it to discuss a host of issues. “The Punjab Assembly session held on July 22, 2024, was convened on the opposition’s requisition. According to parliamentary traditions and procedures, the opposition should have attended the session”, the speaker maintained while addressing a press conference in Kasur. The speaker told the media that he waited for the opposition members for two to three hours to join the proceedings, but they did not turn up. “However, 60 members of the assembly marked their attendance on the register placed at the chamber’s entrance only to collect their travel and daily allowances and then left”, he added. He further stated that he had to adjourn the sitting due to lack of quorum. “Ensuring quorum in a session requisitioned by the opposition was their responsibility”, he maintained.  Ahmad Khan said that the purpose of the opposition members was not to discuss public issues but merely to collect their daily and travel allowances (DA/TA).  “To prevent this wrong tradition of harming the national treasury in the future and to take action against these members, advice has been sought from the Law department within 24 hours”, he said, adding that Imran’s 60 trustworthy, loyal, and revolutionary members have committed a unique fraud for the sake of ten thousand rupees. Commenting on the suspension of assembly members involved in unparliamentary discourse, Malik Ahmad Khan said:”As a Speaker, I will not tolerate indecent and abusive language. If I release the videos of their foul language, they will not be able to face their families. I cannot remain a silent spectator; I will bring the case of the sanctity of the House to the people.” “Sixty opposition members came only to collect their travel allowances.”  The Assembly speaker said that the opposition had no understanding of the sanctity of the Assembly. “We will not tolerate abuse towards our sisters and daughters,” he added. He further stated that he suspended the members according to the rules, just as members were suspended during the PTI era. He also said that a particular party exists only to create chaos and is involved in corruption worth billions of dollars in foreign funding. “Their leader wants to create an atmosphere of turmoil in the country.”

The speaker lamented that the series of backstabbing they started a decade ago has not stopped to this day. “The existence of some people is linked to instability and chaos.”There was an attempt to create a trend that criticizing the army would make them popular. As long as there is chaos, economic stability cannot come to the country”, the speaker concluded.