LAHORE: Ruling PTI and opposition PML-N exchanged ‘unparliamentary’ remarks in the Punjab Assembly proceedings on Friday.

Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan took the floor to respond to PML-N lawmaker Arshad Malik’s remarks about flour crisis in the province saying similar crises had been witnessed in the past but none had spoken against them then. He even denied that there was any crisis in Punjab.

During his speech some opposition members leveled personal attacks on the minister. Chohan responded with personal attacks on the PML-N leadership. Claiming that no one could beat him in a war of words, the minister said Arshad Malik’s remarks were abusive.

PML-N’s Rana Mashhood held Mr Chohan responsible for always spoiling environment of the house by not choosing decent words in his speeches.

Awais Leghari regretted that the (Imran Khan’s) promise had come down from 10 million jobs and five million houses to ‘peace in grave’. He asked the prime minister to provide relief to the poor.

He also lamented that senior government officials were themselves admitting that the province was being run by prime minister by saying that Mr Khan had fully empowered the chief secretary and IGP. He said how come a federal authority could empower bureaucrats instead of the chief minister, who held mandate of the provincial assembly.

He alleged that the prime minister had compromised the Kashmir issue while the situation in the Indian-held valley was deteriorating day by day. He blamed Mr Khan for embarrassing the country and spoiling its foreign policy by not attending the Kuala Lumpur summit despite promises.

Ex-food minister Bilal Yasin opposed import of wheat for the commodity could not be shipped before three months while by that time the local produce would also hit the markets.

He said if there was no wheat crisis in the country then why the prime minister had formed a committee to investigate the issue.

Published in Dawn, January 25th, 2020