Nisar's Not Sworn In On Legal Grounds: Raja Basharat

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th May, 2021 ) :Provincial Law Minister Raja Muhammad Basharat has said that Member Provincial Assembly (MPA) Punjab elect Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan could not take oath due to legal obstacles.

Speaking at the floor of the House during the Punjab Assembly session here on Monday he said different petitions were filed against Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan for his failure to take oath of his office despite a lapse of three years, adding that it was not about assembly rules regarding powers of the Panel of Chairman to administer oath to a new member in the absence of Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

Earlier, Punjab Assembly session started 2 hours 10 minutes behind its scheduled time of 2 p.m. with Panel of Chairman Abdullah Warraich in chair. The session resumed after a two-day break which pertained to question and answers on Mines and Minerals department.

The day was conspicuous as MPA elect Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had turned up after a lapse of three years to take oath. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan was elected as an independent candidate from PP-10 (Rawalpindi) in 2018 general elections.

The opposition benches raised slogans of turncoat (lota) when the dissident Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Ghayas-ud-Din entered the assembly chambers.

Speaking on a point of order, Provincial Minister Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering (HUD&PHE) Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed said there were many turncoats sitting in the opposition benches, adding that many opposition benchers had switched loyalties multiple times and such slogans did not suit them.

During general debate on Agriculture department, Minister Agriculture Hussain Jahania Gardezi said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government has introduced revolutionary reforms in the agriculture sector, soon after assuming power, to improve plight of the farmer, adding that new agriculture policy was introduced in 2020.

He said the government launched 'Kissan Card' to transfer subsidy to the farmers from all sectors, adding that billions of rupees were being spent for the welfare of farmers in the province.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also met Secretary Punjab Assembly Muhammad Khan Bhatti who sought two-day time to ensure whether the honorable high court had granted any stay on the petitions filed against Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan's failure to take oath soon after his election in 2018.

Secretary PA Muhammad Khan Bhatti told that two petitions each had been filed in Lahore and Rawalpindi High Court against Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan's inordinate delay in taking oath as MPA. He said Chaudhry Nisar will be administered oath in the light of the legal opinion.

The Panel of Chairman Abdullah Warraich adjourned the PA session till May 26 (Wednesday) at 2 p.m.