Oct 16 was the worst day in the history of Punjab Assembly : Fayyaz Chohan

Lahore : Punjab Minister for Information and Culture, Fayyaz-ul-Hassan Chohan on Friday said the Punjab Assembly had never been discredited like it was done by the opposition on Oct 16 by thrashing the assembly staff, and ransacking the house.

“ Oct 16 was one of the worst days in the history of the Punjab Assembly when the Pakistan Muslim League (N) members introduced a new tradition of force and violence”, Chohan said while speaking to newsmen outside the Punjab Assembly.

The opposition members, he observed, had introduced a new but deplorable tradition by attacking the Speaker, Secretary and Additional Secretary of the assembly.

“The PML(N) MPAs clearly know what they have done. That’s why they are avoiding to attend the assembly session and appear before the inquiry committee”, he said referring to PML(N)’s refusal to attend the business advisory committee meetings.

“I, as the Punjab government spokesman, has been trying to persuade the PML(N) members to join the business advisory committee,  which is a legal binding on them,  for six consecutive days but to no avail”, he maintained.

In reply to a question, the minister said the PML(N) was engaged in a futile exercise aimed at tarnishing the image of Speaker Punjab Assembly, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.  However, the fact is that the Speaker controlled the pandemonium caused by the opposition members with patience and wisdom on Oct 16, he added.

He further said that the Speaker had banned the six PML(N) MPAs involved in rowdyism in line with the assembly rules and regulations.

Chohan noted that the father and the son-Shahbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz- were not ready to accept Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as the Speaker Punjab Assembly. “Contrary to that,  look at our behavior,  we have not only recognized the corrupt and dishonest persons like Shahbaz and Hamza as opposition leaders but are giving them respect as well”,

 “The two should accept the reality as soon as possible”, he said.