Opposition submits call for special session

LAHORE, March 31: The opposition is requisitioning a special session of the Punjab Assembly to discuss procurement of wheat and law and order in the province. "We will submit a requisition in the assembly on Friday (today) for a special session as the speaker 'illegally' prorogued the session in the absence of the opposition," Opposition Leader Raja Riaz said at a press conference on Thursday. He said it was unfortunate that the chair revised the agenda and took advantage of the absence of the opposition which had boycotted the proceedings in protest at the insult of opposition women members by some treasury members. "It is against the parliamentary traditions," he said, adding next time the opposition would go for a "token boycott" so that the government could not bulldoze the agenda. He said by proroguing the session the PML-N government could not save its skin from the blunders it had committed in wheat procurement matters. "The Punjab government instead of returning loans to banks it had taken for procurement of wheat is spending those on other heads. This is a glaring example of mismanagement," he said. Mr Riaz said the provincial government had yet to announce any policy regarding wheat procurement. Criticizing Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for his "bad governance", Mr Riaz said the leader of the house did not bother to come to the house even after his visit to London. "Shahbaz preferred to hold a press conference to clear his position on Raymond Davis case but did not tell the house what forced him to cooperate with the US on the matter," he said. He said if the chief minister was not consulted on the release of Davis, he should have resigned. The opposition leader suggested Shahbaz to 'sack' Rana Sanaullah as his government was earning "bad name" by torturing PCS officers, doctors and students.