LAHORE - Punjab Assembly witnessed rumpus on Thursday with legislators from across the political divide resorting to sloganeering and exchange of harsh arguments.

Though the opposition pointed quo­rum thrice, the treasury managed to keep the required number of legislators in the House to pave way for extension in the period of validity of four ordinances and laying the same number of audit reports.

The session started one hour and 30 minutes behind the scheduled time with member panel of chairman Mian Shafi Muhammad in the chair.

During proceedings on government busi­ness, the opposition pointed quorum three times but the treasury managed to keep the required number of MPAs in the House.

The treasury legislators chanted slo­gans of shame, shame when the PML-N’s Samiulah Khan stood up and started counting MPAs after pointing quorum. The chair remarked that the MPA could get a ministry by ensuring the correct counting of members in the House.

PML-N lawmaker calls for effective legislation to save children

The opposition legislators stood up, tore apart copies of agenda and resorted to sloganeering against the ruling party.

PML-N’s Sheikh Allauddin stressed the need for effective legislation to save children from sexual abuse. He said that there was need of starting a campaign in Lahore.

Law Minister Raja Basharat said that there were several incidents of sexual as­sault of children in the past. He said that administration has resolved issues at the local level. He said that the government was taking measures for curbing the menace of sexual abuse of children. He lamented that the opposition continued the practice of making hue and cry dur­ing proceedings on government business. He said that they (opposition members) could not sit even for a couple of minutes. Like the last day, he said, they were flee­ing from the House.

Amid rumpus, the House extended the period of four ordinances-the Punjab Agricultural Marketing Regulatory Au­thority (Amendment) Ordinance 2019, the Punjab Local Government (Amend­ment) Ordinance 2019, the Punjab Village Panchayats and Neighbourhood Coun­cils (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 and the Punjab Local Government (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2019 for 90 days with majority.

The law minister also laid audit reports on the accounts of Revenue Receipts of Government of the Punjab for 2017-18, Public Sector Companies Government of the Punjab for 2017-18, Disaster Manage­ment Organizations for 2017-18 and C&W, HUD&PHE, Irrigation, LG&CD Depart­ments and Infrastructure Development Authority Punjab (IDAP) for 2018-19.

Earlier, during question hour on com­munication and works department, PML-N’s Agha Haider Ali pointed out that the minister come to the House but parlia­mentary secretary was responding to the supplementary questions.