PA hurriedly passes three bills during Opp walkout.

LAHORE -- The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday ran through the approval of three laws in the absence of opposition members who staged a walkout in protest against 'ignoring' of their amendments to these bills on technical grounds.

On their way out, the opposition members pointed out quorum, but treasury had its numbers right. In the next fifteen minutes, the house approved Local Governments (amendment) Bill, Probation and Parole Service Bill and Village Panchayat (assembly) Bill.

The opposition had moved the amendments to all three bills, but the law minister opposed them on the ground that they were submitted after the time frame prescribed for the purpose.

'Why does the opposition want the chair to use its discretion to cover up its incompetence? The opposition should have come up with all its amendments within the due time. If it comes to using chair's discretion, the treasury has equal right to it and would expect the chair to use it in its favour. Instead of pleading its case on discretionary grounds, it should have respected time allotted to it,' Raja Basharat insisted.

Though Waris Kahloon of the opposition made a spirited case for the amendments but the chair, occupied by Speaker Pervaiz Elahi, refused to oblige and the opposition walked out in protest.

In the brief sitting, lasting for around 90 minutes, the house also took up Question Hour on the Services and General Administration Department (S and GAD) and the law minister told the house that the Chief Minister House spent Rs1.48 billion during the five year PML-N stint (2013-18). The chief minister variously declared his residences in Defence Housing Authority (DHA), Model Town and Jati Umara as his camp offices. Once declared as such, the province is bound to provide all amenities like security, communication network...