LAHORE: Opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly and PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz has said a decision on tabling no-confidence motion against the Buzdar government will be taken from the platform of the opposition alliance -- the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), while the provincial government claims that dozens of Nawaz League MPAs will go against such a move, if tabled.

Mr Hamza told the media outside the Punjab Assembly: “No-trust is a constitutional option, while protest on the road is another [way to oust the government]. We will discuss each and every option [before taking a final decision] as it’s the prime duty of each political party to utilise all available constitutional options to send the government packing.”

Responding to a question, he said free and fair elections were the best solution to resolve the current crisis.

On the other hand, Punjab Prisons Minister Fayyazul Hasan Chohan challenged Hamza to table the no-trust motion. Talking to the media, he said that over two dozen opposition MPAs would at least absent themselves (during voting) if no-confidence motion was tabled against the PTI government.

Meanwhile, the opposition protested against price hike both inside and outside the assembly. Led by Hamza, the opposition also protested against price hike at the staircase of the assembly building.

The opposition MPAs joined the assembly session wearing black armbands and raised slogans against the government. Their women colleagues were carrying cooking utensils, while a minority MPA, Tariq Masih, had come on a bicycle to join the session in protest against high fuel prices.

The house also echoed with the opposition’s protest when it took up debate on price hike. Opening the discussion, Hamza said the unprecedented inflation has baffled the masses, whereas the government did nothing except victimising the opposition. He said the government has given NRO to the flour and sugar mafias through its “ordinance factory” (a reference to frequent promulgation of ordinances by the government), while blaming the opposition for demanding the same.

Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal said the PTI government was retiring the debt taken by the PML-N during its tenure. He said those “conspiring against the security institutions” should also tell the people that the inflation was a gift of their own government.

Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi prorogued the proceedings sine die on completion of the agenda.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2021