Two parallel budget sessions are set to be held in Punjab on Wednesday — likely for the first time — one by the PML-N-led government at Aiwan-i-Iqbal which will be presided over by Deputy Speaker Dost Mohammad Mazari of the PTI, and the other at the Punjab Assembly under Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi of the PML-Q.
The development comes after the provincial government failed to present the budget for the new fiscal year despite the passage of two days since the Punjab Assembly was convened for the purpose, owing to a deadlock with the speaker.
The Punjab Assembly had on Monday witnessed a daylong drama as Speaker Elahi refused to conduct the session and allow the provincial budget to be presented, demanding the inspector general of police (IGP) first tender an apology to him and withdraw all cases lodged against the PTI and PML-Q workers and parliamentarians, in connection with the chaotic April 16 session.
After back-to-back meetings between the treasury and opposition for over six hours, followed by brief proceedings of the house, the speaker took a strong stance over the non-appearance of the chief secretary and the IGP and asserted that the proceedings would continue only when both officers were present in the assembly gallery.
After keeping the proceedings paused till 11pm, Elahi adjourned the session till 1pm on Tuesday — without allowing the presentation of the province's budget for financial year 2022-23.
However, proceedings could not move forward again when the assembly's 40th session resumed on Tuesday. Chief Minister Hamza Shehbaz, who looked frustrated at the speaker's tactics, announced he would come up with another strategy to deal with the problem.
Later in the day, Governor Balighur Rehman cancelled the ongoing 40th session and summoned the 41st at Aiwan-i-Iqbal, some 700 metres away from the Punjab Assembly, at 2pm on Wednesday (today). However, despite the governor's orders, the speaker declared that the 40th session would continue.
Editorial: Opposition in Punjab is once again leading the province to chaos by stalling budget's presentation
Reportedly, the Punjab government had shown some flexibility over the withdrawal of cases against PTI lawmakers and workers, but was not ready to budge over the appearance of the IGP and the CS before the speaker and opposition MPAs in the house. "Hamza is taking directions from the top party leadership over the matter that has told him not to concede to the opposition's demands," a source said.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, Speaker Elahi termed the proposed Aiwan-i-Iqbal session illegal and unconstitutional.
The opposition believes the parallel session will be akin to the 'mock' one the PML-N held a couple of months ago at a local hotel to elect Hamza as the CM.
Former Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary, Kunwar Dilshad, told DawnNewsTV that Elahi was interpreting the law and the Constitution "incorrectly".
"All constitutional and legal powers are vested in the governor Punjab. The speaker has no power to summon the provincial assembly session," he said.
"The real authority is with the governor Punjab and the session he has summoned at Aiwan-i-Iqbal ... to prevent chaos and danger. I do not understand the law according to which an experienced politician like Chaudhry Parvez Elahi summoned the session."
Meanwhile, PTI leaders criticised the parallel budget sessions, with former planning and development minister Asad Umar calling it a "spectacle".
Former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said Punjab was facing the "worst constitutional and administrative crisis".
"Neither the chief minister nor the cabinet are known," he said, while referring to ongoing cases challenging Hamza's election as the chief minister.
"Come out of [your] stubbornness and ego. Give the people a chance [so] the political crisis can reach a final conclusion and [we] move towards elections," he tweeted.
Budget proposals
Meanwhile, the budget earlier approved by the cabinet proposed a 15 per cent increase in the salary of public sector employees, 5pc raise in pensions of retired officials and Rs109.1 billion for foreign-funded projects. The proposed budget envisages a wide range of subsidies and relief packages worth Rs190.58bn, and around Rs1.712 trillion for service delivery in various sectors — 20pc higher than the ongoing FY's Rs1.428tr.
According to the budget document, the government's flagship initiatives during the next fiscal have been proposed for Rs100bn for social protection (utility support programme), and Rs31.5bn for south Punjab alone.
The other flagship projects included Rs9bn for Road Rehabilitation Programme, Rs5bn for land acquisition for development projects, Rs1.35bn for minority development and Rs1.5bn for provision of laptops to students.
The proposed sectoral allocations would be Rs1,083.69bn for social and Rs216.68bn for infrastructure development, Rs127.32bn for production, Rs663.15 for services and Rs306.09bn for special initiatives sectors.