Opp leader threatens to quit Sanaullah plaza probe

Opp leader threatens to quit Sanaullah plaza probe

* Zaheeruddin accuses Punjab govt of not cooperating with investigation
* Says he will announce final decision today

LAHORE: Punjab Opposition Leader Chaudhry Zaheeruddin on Thursday warned that he would quit the parliamentary committee constituted to probe rana Sanaullah’s ‘illegal plaza’ if the Punjab government did not cooperate with him in establishing the facts of the case.

Zaheeruddin, who is head of the House fact-finding committee, told the media on his visit to the plaza that the government’s attitude towards the case was “not serious”.

Final decision: Vowing to reveal the facts about Sanaullah’s allegedly illegal high-rise, he said he would hold a meeting of the fact-finding committee on March 5 (today) at his chambers in the Punjab Assembly’s building and would make a final decision about leaving the committee.

Non-serious attitude: He said, “The Shahbaz government is not cooperating on the issue. Three weeks have gone by and I still haven’t received the names of the committee members... Shahbaz had declared in the House that all the committee members would be answerable to him about the legality or illegality of Sanaullah’s plaza, but none of them have contacted me in this regard.” The opposition leader also criticised committee members for failing to provide any facts or records regarding the case.

He also announced that the fact-finding committee would soon present all the facts and records it has collected so far before the media.

Moonis Elahi, Zulfiqar Khosa Clash in Punjab Assembly

Saturday, June 20, 2009, Lahore

Arguments between a junior and a seasoned legislator caused uproar in the Punjab Assembly, igniting a blame game between treasury and opposition benches on Friday.

Chaudhry Moonis Elahi of the PML-Q and Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa of the PML-N exchanged heated words during the PA session. Tension was diffused when Deputy Speaker Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan intervened and asked both sides to calm down and pay attention towards the budget session.The situation became tense during a point of order when Khosa said there was a ‘manufacturing defect’ in the formation of the PML-Q and it was the reason why it was facing departure of legislators.

Moonis on a point of order said that he remembered that Khosa had visited Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi at a time when Nawaz Sharif was in London. He said during the meeting Khosa had agreed to change his loyalty. Moonis Elahi told the House that he could also provide details of what Khosa had discussed with his father(Pervaiz) regarding his sons.This infuriated Khosa who had returned to the Punjab Assembly for the ninth time. Khosa in reply called the son of the former chief minister ‘Moonis Nutt’ which elicited a strong reaction from the opposition.

The opposition termed Khosa’s remark a ‘personal attack’ on Moonis.Continuing his speech, Khosa said that Nawaz Sharif had showered the family of Chaudhrys with personal favours and that he (Khosa) could also disclose what Chaudhrys had discussed with him (Nawaz). Moonis said he could also say a lot before the House but his elders had taught him the importance of respecting others which Khosa probably hadn’t taught to his sons.

This once again infuriated the PML-N camp. Rana Mohammed Arshad of the PML-N stood up and criticized Moonis and his supporters for being a part of a dictatorial regime. PML-Q women legislators, including Amna Ulfat, Samina Khawar Hayat kept criticizing the PML-N leadership and the deputy speaker had to intervene and ask the members to calm down.

Moonis Elahi on a point of order earlier has also criticized Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah Khan for calling PML-Q a party of ‘turncoats’. Moonis, who remained very vocal in the House on Friday, stated that in past Rana Sana Ullah Khan was a part of the PPP and used to criticise the PML-N Quaid in the same House.

Sher Ali Khan of the PML-Q urged the PML-N leadership to lead by example and discourage the formation of forward bloc.