Punjab Assembly Not a Public Thoroughfare, Says Azma Bokhari

By Farzana Chaudhry
Lahore, Pakistan
LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari has said that the Punjab Assembly is not a public thoroughfare and that no individual or group can force its way into the premises under the guise of political activity.
Speaking on Geo News programme Geo Pakistan, Bokhari said the Punjab government is fully prepared to hold local government elections and is only awaiting the Election Commission of Pakistan’s announcement of the election schedule.
She stated that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had secured victories in all recent by-elections across Punjab, adding that the government wants local body elections to be held at the earliest to allow people to express their political will at the grassroots level.
Referring to an incident involving Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Bokhari said the party has the right to exercise democratic freedoms, but stressed that only a list of 30 individuals had been officially submitted for entry into the Punjab Assembly. “The Assembly is not a public crossroads where anyone can force their way in,” she said.
She alleged that individuals accompanying Sohail Afridi pushed aside a security guard, broke doors, and unlawfully entered the Assembly premises. Questioning the conduct, Bokhari asked why political activities could not be carried out in a civilised and lawful manner.
The minister further said that despite the use of inappropriate language within the Assembly premises, the Punjab government exercised restraint. She claimed that in the service area, Shafi Ullah Jan used objectionable language against Mohsin Naqvi, yet no retaliatory action was taken by the government.
Bokhari said the government faced a dilemma, noting that any action would have been portrayed as disrespecting guests, while restraint was also being criticised.
She added that the visitors had come to Lahore under the pretext of a “study tour” and accused them of having no interest in dialogue or transparent political engagement, alleging that their sole objective was to seek an NRO-style concession.