All eyes are on today’s rival Punjab Assembly’s (PA) budget sessions as both Governor Balighur Rehman and Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who represent two sides of a political divide, are showing no signs of softening their stance, and have convened the sessions at two different places and different timings, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.   

While the speaker has called the session at 1:00 PM at the Punjab Assembly building, the governor has summoned the session at 3:00 PM, and that, too miles away, at Aiwan-i-Iqbal, and not in the assembly’s building. Who wins and who loses; only the time will tell. 

Punjab Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari will deliver the budget speech at Aiwan-e-Iqbal.  

Following the situation created in the Punjab Assembly after a strong stance taken by Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and the opposition party—the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the governor prorogued the 40th session on Tuesday night.

Earlier, at the start of the session, which started eight hours and 43 minutes behind scheduled time at 1:00 pm, the speaker gave the mike to Provincial Minister Awais Leghari but he refused to address and said Punjab Governor had prorogued the session so it was illegal and unconstitutional to hold the session now.

Members of the treasury benches, belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) left the Chamber. Later, the speaker adjourned the 40th session until 1:00 pm today.

It is pertinent to mention here that the budget session also faced a delay on the second day as PA Speaker Pervaiz Elahi insisted on apologies from the Chief Secretary and Inspector General of Police for conducting raids and making cases against the PTI leaders and workers. 

The government, on the other hand, refused to accept his condition so a deadlock between the government and the Speaker is still continuing.

Reporters: Umar Aslam and Ali Akbar