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Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Friday slammed the opposition Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party stating that unlike the previous regime, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has not abused its authority and never tried to restrict facilities for its (jailed) political rivals, the Islamabad-based Geo News reported.
Maryam Nawaz was addressing a session of the Punjab Assembly on the budget for the financial year 2025 under chair of Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan when a ruckus broke out in the House. Lawmakers from the opposition started chanting anti PML-N slogans during her address. However, Maryam continued to speak diseregarding the opposition's noisy protests. Maryam, the daughter of former Nawaz Sharif and PML-N supremo, came down heavily on the opposition. "They were busy setting new records of incompetence and removing air conditioners from other people [when they were in prison cells]," she said. Maryam said that Nawaz Sharif had ordered the authorities to install two air conditioners instead of one in the jail cell of PTI founder and former premier Imran Khan when the latter was held at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail for revealing official secrets, Geo News reported. She said that trolls from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had badmouthed her for her public-friendly actions. "They take checking the price of a roti at a tandoor as an insult and used to mock me," she said. "Punjab is the only province that has reduced the price of roti. Instead of shouting slogans here, they [PTI lawmakers] should reduce prices [of roti] in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa," she said. Maryam mentioned that a tax-free budget was presented in Punjab for the first time, which should have pleased the opposition as well. She added that the citizens of Punjab have "sighed in relief after years." Amid the protests in the Assembly, Maryam detailed that her government restored basic facilities to the masses, which were halted by the previous administration, especially the provision of free medicines at government hospitals. Moreover, inflation was brought down to its lowest level in years. Because of the noisy protests by the opposition, the provincial assembly failed to approve the supplementary budget and adjourned the session till Saturday. The Assembly speaker said that he will now use his "constitutional powers" to rein in the lawmakers and maintain the decorum in the House, Geo News reported. Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said that they were also part of the opposition previoulsy, however, they did not misbehave. Azma criticised the opposition legislators for their "regrettable" behaviour during chief minister's Maryam's address. Bukhari further stated that they would now give a befittting response to the opposition and in the next session, the Treasury would not listen to any opposition lawmaker's speech. (ANI)
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