LAHORE, Aug 27: Exchange of allegations between the treasury and opposition members marred the proceedings of the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday.

Soon after the start of the session, the journalists sitting in the gallery boycotted the proceedings to protest against registration of case against the owner and employees of a private TV channel under Anti-Terrorism Act and also the torture of newsmen by some PTI workers.

The journalists ended the boycott on the request of Anwar Shuja Khanzada and Mian Aslam Iqbal.

The opposition members started protesting in the house when Speaker Rana Iqbal did not allow Opposition Leader Mian Mahmoodur Rashid to move a motion condemning police torture of PTI leaders and workers on The Mall. At the same time Law Minister Rana Sanaullah raised the issue of PTI workers’ involvement in the torture of journalists that caused exchange of harsh words between the treasury and opposition members.

The opposition members criticised the government for registering a case under ATA against a private TV channel.

Mr Rashid said he and another PTI leader Ijaz Chaudhry had apologised to the media persons for Monday’s incident and the treasury should follow suit for registering a fake case against them in Balochistan. The speaker ordered PML-N legislator Rukhsana Kokab to leave the house for bringing a placard inscribed with anti-PTI remark.

RESOLUTIONS: The house adopted three resolutions presented by PPP’s Faiza Malik, PTI’s Nosheen Hamid and PML-N’s Tahsin Malik.

The resolutions were adopted on vaccination against hepatitis for children under the age of five, call for local government elections in cantonment areas and provision of shelter and vocational training to beggars.

The house rejected a resolution moved by PML-N’s Shiekh Allauddin to rename the Neela Gumbad Road as Leitner Road.

Earlier, Punjab Special Education Minister Asif Saeed Manais during the question-answer session said the number of special persons in Punjab was 2,284,490 and 237 special education institutions were working in all tehsils under the special education department.

He said 16 special education institutions were working in Lahore district and over Rs300 million had been set aside for the institutions for 2012-13. Every institution had a pick and drop facility for children, he said.

Talking to reporters outside the assembly, Rana Sanaullah did point-scoring on media, warning the PTI to seek apology from the journalists on the torture issue otherwise the police would raid their (PTI workers) houses.