ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly session on Friday got off to a noisy start with opposition lawmakers chanting anti-government slogans during the proceedings of the House. When the house started, the opposition members requested the speaker National Assembly for floor. But the speaker did not give floor, and started question-hour session of the House.

After it, the opposition members stood up from their seats, and started raising slogans against the government. The opposition members carried placards inscribed with the slogans against the government, and they continued their protest, despite the speaker's repeated appeals for order in the house.

Prime Minister Imran Khan was also present in the house. Around 50 members of the opposition parties attended the session, and they also raised slogans against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Loud sloganeering by opposition lawmakers continued as Prime Minister Imran Khan walked into the house along with other government members and ministers.

The opposition members raised slogans, "He is fleeing! he is fleeing!"

The speaker had to adjourn the house for 20 minutes, due to uproar and protest of the opposition. The House met again after 30 minutes, and the speaker gave the floor to Pakistan People's Party (PPP) MNA Syed Naveed Qamar.

While speaking at the floor of National Assembly, Syed Naveed Qamar said why the session was summoned at the same date of October 16 at which the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had announced a public meeting. He claimed that the government wanted to stop the opposition members to participate in the PDM's public gathering through such action and attitude.

He said that the government wanted to 'degrade' the Parliament through such actions. He said that the Parliament was nothing without the opposition. "The house becomes irrelevant, if it runs without the opposition," he said.

"We are being forced to raise the problems of the people on roads and public gatherings instead of the Parliament," he said. Naved Qamar announced to walkout from the House, saying that the opposition cannot sit in the House. Afterward, the opposition members staged a walkout from the house.

At the same moment, Abdul Qadir Patel of the PPP pointed out the quorum. The speaker ordered the counting; the house was in order after the counting. Later, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan introduced, 'The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2020' in the House, amid sloganeering from the opposition benches.

Babar Awan also laid Audit Reports of Auditor General for the audit year 2019-2020, in the house. Earlier, the House offered fateha for the departed souls of security agencies' personnel, who embraced martyrdom, while defending the motherland.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020