LAHORE - Many would be familiar with the phraseology of planted stories, often used to question the veracity of news stories in both print and electronic media; but the term planted debate was heard for the first time on Thursday in respect of a parliamentary debate in Punjab Assembly over the appointment of judges. Chief Justice Lahore High Court, Justice Khawaja Shahrifs recent statement about delay in judgesappointment promoted the legislators, mainly belonging to or having affiliation with the PML-N to agitate the issue on assembly floor, citing sufferings of the litigants. Former Minister for Prisons, Saeed Akbar Niwani was the first to ignite the debate on a point of order. The Opposition, however, termed it a planted debate initiated by the Treasury to score political points against Punjab governor. While majority of the PPP members preferred not to indulge into the tricky matter involving their partys governor, the opposition members openly expressed their disapproval of the discussion on judges issue, saying that Punjab Assembly was not the right forum to debate a matter involving conduct of the governor and judges of the superior judiciary. The winding-up speech by the law minister holding Punjab Governor responsible for delaying the appointments in Lahore High Court, also provided sufficient material to give credence to what Opposition had maintained. PML-Qs Mohsin Leghari rejected the debate quoting assembly rules of procedure, according to which the conduct of governor and judges of superior judiciary could not be debated in the House. To substantiate his point, Leghari drew chairs attention towards rule 48-Q (1), which states that a question {raised in assembly} shall not contain any reflection on the conduct of the governor or judge of a Supreme Court or of a High Court. A seasoned PPP parliamentarian, Nazim Hussain Shah tried to give another spin to the issue by giving his own interpretation of the words consultation and advice as applicable in case of judges appointment. He said competent authority was not bound to act upon the advice of the recommending authority. The PPP legislators in their off- the-record conversation with media men after the session also believed that it was a move orchestrated by Punjab Minister for Law Rana Sana Ulla to malign Governor Salmaan Taseer, with whom he was having bad blood due to political reasons. Taseer on Wednesday targeted the law minister for his illegal plaza at Fane Road, pleading that there should be one law for the two Ranas. He was referring to another PML-N ex-MPA, Shumaila Rana who was forced to resign by party leadership after she was found guilty in a fraud case. The governor had also maintained in the same statement that provincial government had lost moral authority after its selective application of law. The PPPs Punjab organization has also alleged that Punjab CM was trying to save his ministers skin by getting him 'cleared by a committee comprising of his own men.