MPAs submit suggestions for Friday's session.

Byline: Amjad Mahmood

LAHORE -- Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has convened a session of the House on the requisition of the opposition parties before devising standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the sitting that is likely to last for four days.

The 21st session of the 17th House will commence from Friday (May 8) to discuss coronavirus situation in the province.

The present hall for holding sessions had been built before the Partition to accommodate over 60 legislators of the provincial house. Since its strength was increased to 371 by Gen Musharraf's regime in 2001, it failed to house such a bigger number of MPAs and authorities had to include a large portion of the visitors' gallery into it.

But lawmakers rarely grace this portion located on the upper deck saying the chair would seldom notice them whenever they would try to raise any point from there. And, thus they prefer sitting in the main hall leading to overcrowding, which cannot be overlooked now in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.

Proposals include cut in members attendance, security staff; panel to decide on SOPs today

An official of the assembly secretariat says that though a notification for requisitioning the session has been issued but SOPs for the sitting to ensure social distancing and taking other precautionary safety measures will be decided on Monday (today) at the house business advisory committee.

Azma Zahid Bukhari, one of...

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