Punjab Governor 'Responds' To PA Speaker, Recalls Budget Session At Aiwan-E-Iqbal Today.

LAHORE -- An interesting situation arose in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday night when Speaker Ch Parvez Elahi came to chair the sitting but only to know that the session he was chairing had been prorogued by the Punjab Governor.

Immediately after taking the seat just before 10:00pm, Ch Parvez Elahi invited Finance Minister Sardar Ahmad Awais Leghari to present the budget seemingly quite unmindful of his earlier stance that he would not start budget proceedings until and unless the Chief Secretary and the IGP are present in the official gallery.

It was astonishing to see a Speaker who until half an hour back was insisting on his demand as a pre-condition to start the sitting, suddenly changed his mind to allow the finance minister to present the budget.

The speaker was, however, gently told that Punjab Governor had prorogued the 40th session of the Assembly. 'Mr Speaker, Punjab Governor has prorogued the Assembly session. Therefore, this proceeding, if continued, will be illegal and unconstitutional', the finance minister told the chair and left the house along with other colleagues.

'Who is the governor to prorogue the session? He cannot do so. It is illegal and unconstitutional', said Parvez Elahi in a full-throated voice. Seeing the treasury members leaving the House, the speaker ordered: 'The sitting is adjourned till 1:00 pm tomorrow (Wednesday)'.

Although Ch Parvez Elahi pretended to be ignorant of governor's orders, many believed he rushed to the House to start the sitting after getting the information that Punjab governor had prorogued the session. It was evident from the fact that he did not insist on having the chief secretary and the IGP in the official gallery this time, a demand he had been pressing hard since Monday.

Also, before commencement of the sitting, Punjab Governor Mohammad Balighur Rahman prorogued 40th session of the Punjab Assembly which he had convened for presentation of the provincial budget. The governor...