Bad performance continues at PA

LAHORE - Certainly difficult to remember the Punjab Assembly Treasury has been correct in giving replies to legislators during question hour, and when every minister and parliamentary secretary has been a complete failure, the 60-minute has become a mockery of the proceedings. The same was true of Tuesdays Hour when N-chosen secretary could only deliver good sermon on his the chief minister instead of giving correct replies to the queries. Despite repeated attempts by PPPs deputy parliamentary leader Shaukat Mahmood Basra tried to speak on a point of order, but Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal denied him a right to speak in loud noise by the Opposition, and asked Parliamentary Secretary for Industries Commerce and Investment Rana Tajummal Hussain to start responding queries during the question hour. Seeing the speakers firmness for not allowing the noisy Opposition to speak, the adversaries of the Treasury pointed out the quorum at 11:20am, that is, after twenty minutes to the start of the proceedings. Seeing an apparent inquorate House, the Speaker ordered ringing of bells for five minutes. However, with Treasury members hurrying to the Floor, the Opp lost the call. Again after 12 minutes, the quorum was pointed out, and after the earlier exercise, the House was declared quorate. The Parliamentary Secretary despite attempts at hiding his incompetence by enthusing overconfidence, failed to satisfy the members of both benches. His double meaning sentences annoyed the female MPAs, especially of the Opp. It seemed as if the Secretary was more interested in whiling away the time, and skirted around the subject instead of being matter-of-fact. Treasurys Nighat Nasir Sheikh quizzed the govt about the fraud by the postal staff at Faisalabad in the Food Stamp Scheme. The Secretary read the written reply only Rs 31,000 embezzled, recovered and culprits removed from service which was considered to be incorrect by the mover, who asserted over Rs 0.6million had been swallowed. The Secretary was ill-prepared, and must have anticipated either 'no question hour owing to heated debates or he would be given clean chit by members of his coterie since the Opposition was boycotting the proceedings.