Mr Riaz said the chief minister had implicated “an important personality in Islamabad” in the drugs issued from the PIC but “indirectly he has admitted that all those died of PIC drugs were actually killed”. - File photo

LAHORE: It was a business usual in the Punjab assembly on Friday: abuses, name callings and shouting.

Though the House met after a two-day break, it again ran into chaos as it had witnessed two days ago, when PML-Q (like-minded) Sheikh Allauddin and PML-Q’s Samina Khawar Hayat traded four-letter words.The House was to discuss the recent heart patients’ deaths due to spurious pills provided to victims by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC).

Chaos erupted when Ms Hayat was making a fiery speech billing the chief minister a ‘murderer’ of 126 recent heart patients’, Mr Allauddin interrupted and asked her to avoid harsh remarks against the chief minister. Rather in a suggestive tone, he asked the woman member to tell her problem.

Ms Hayat turned to Allauddin dubbing him ‘lota-i-azam’. She also shouted insults and barbs (not publishable) on her party colleague who shifted loyalty after the elections.
Other PML-Q members also raised slogans calling Allauddin “Lota”.

Present in visitors’ gallery, several universities students were not amused by the abusive debate in the House. “We are highly disappointed to see that what our elected representatives are doing in the Punjab Assembly,” said a student. The session began some 110 minutes late than the scheduled time. Opposition Leader Raja Riaz lambasted Mr Sharif for his continued absence from the assembly proceedings. He demanded that the chief minister come to the House and explain the deaths of innocent people. He called the chief minister a “wanted’ and at large” person.

Mr Riaz said the chief minister had implicated “an important personality in Islamabad” in the drugs issued from the PIC but “indirectly he has admitted that all those died of PIC drugs were actually killed”.

“The chief minister must expose the killers and get an FIR registered against them,” he demanded.

Referring to law minister Rana Sanaullah’s statement that he would not apologise for his abusive remarks against PPP Deputy Parliamentary Leader Shaukat Basra, the opposition leader said that Mr Sanaullah must remember that his `guru’ had sought apology from Asif Zardari. The comment sparked a protest from the treasury side. Speaker Rana Iqbal suspended the proceedings for 10 minutes and called treasury and opposition leaders to his chamber to discuss the situation.

Upon his return, the speaker said the treasury and opposition had agreed that all assembly proceedings should be suspended and debate on PIC drugs reaction deaths should be opened. Later, Rana Iqbal left asking Mahr Ishtiaq to chair the session

In the debate, PPP parliamentary leader Maj (retired) Zulfiqar Gondal criticised the chief minister for suspending doctors. “It is not good governance but harassment,” he said, adding that a vibrant press in Lahore had highlighted deaths but scores of causalities in remote areas remained unnoticed.

He said the Drug Testing Laboratory (DTL) had yet to examine a batch of medicines but the Punjab government issued a purchase order in bulk. He said he smelt embezzlement in the bulk purchase prior to clearance from the DTL.

PML-N MPA Rana Muhammad Afzal said the chief minister was clear on the drugs subject as he had sent the medicines in question abroad for a lab examination. He criticised the federal government for not setting up any lab in the country to examine drugs.

Interrupting Rana Afzal, Maj Gondal said no relevant person such as parliamentary health secretary and Health Department officials was present in the House and the lobby.

Law minister Sanaullah said the detail of proceedings would be provided to the chief minister and he would wind up the debate on drugs reaction issue.

He said the chief minister had announced the constitution of a judicial commission to hold an inquiry into the issue and said that each and every thing would be sorted out in a crystal clear manner.

He said the chief minister had also announced compensation to the victims’ families.

PML-Q’s Amna Ulfat said people in Punjab were dying due to joblessness, dengue and drugs.

The chair changed the subject by asking Ijaz Ahmad Khan to present requests to seek one-month extension in the time frame for the submission of standing committees’ reports. As soon as the extensions were granted, Shaukat Basra said the House was discussing a very serious public issue but members started discussing persons and settling scores. He said that this debate would send a very bad image of the elected House to the families, whose members become prey of the spurious medicine.

The chair then adjourned the session till Monday 3pm.