Punjab Assembly | Pakistan

LAHORE - Just weeks after the Treasury and Opposition agreed on a code of conduct for maintaining decorum during assembly proceedings, chaos erupted once again in the Punjab Assembly on Monday.

The federal government on Tuesday welcomed a Sargodha Anti-Terrorism Court’s (ATC) sentencing of Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly (PA) Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar to 10 years in prison over a case related to the nationwide riots on May 9, 2023, hailing it as a positive step. On May 9, 2023, military installations and state-owned buildings were vandalised as PTI supporters protested the arrest of ex-premier Imran Khan — who was released later but has been imprisoned in various cases since August 2023. Following the riots, thousands of protesters, including the party’s top leadership, were arrested. Addressing a press conference today in Islamabad, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik said: “Today, the Sargodha ATC issued an order and we welcome it … I think it is a very positive step as justice has been upheld.” He said the verdict “fulfils all requirements of justice” and followed due process since the entire trial proceedings were carried out legally. “The decision announced is in ...

Acting Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Zaheer Iqbal Chanar, has reinstated 26 opposition members from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who were previously suspended.

• Punjab Assembly speaker says allegations of constitutional violations need to be first proven in ‘court or tribunal’ • Notices issued to 10 MPAs for payment of damages caused during budget session withdrawn LAHORE: In a significant step towards de-escalation of political tensions in the Punjab Assembly, PA Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has formally rejected the petitions seeking the disqualification of 26 PTI members. This decision followed successful negotiations between the government and the opposition, and is expected to pave the way for the swift reinstatement of these suspended lawmakers. The ruling comes after weeks of parliamentary deadlock, which saw the opposition members suspended for “disorderly conduct” during the budget session on June 27. The suspension for 15 sittings was a direct response to protests that disrupted Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s speech and involved the use of “offensive, abusive, and unparliamentary language and slogans”, as well as alleged physical altercations. In his ...

• Mujtaba terms meeting ‘productive’, insists there will be no use of abusive language, sloganeering in future • Claims opposition didn’t raise issue of reinstating suspended lawmakers • Bhachar rejects assertion, says no return to house until MPAs’ suspension withdrawn LAHORE: Negotiations between the trea­­sury and opposition benches in the Punjab Assembly made headway during the third round of talks on Thursday, with both sides reaching an agreement on parliamentary conduct and activation of key house committees. However, a deadlock persists over the reinstatement of 26 suspended opposition lawmakers and the withdrawal of fines imposed on them — an issue the opposition insists is non-negotiable for their return to the house. The 26 PTI lawmakers in question were suspended for 15 sittings following their protest during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s speech on June 27. Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehm­an told reporters after the meeting on Thursday, “This was the third sitting of the negotiation c...

Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, on Friday suspended 26 members of the provincial assembly for 15 sessions over serious breaches of parliamentary rules and disorderly conduct during house proceedings.

PML-N’s Hina Arshad Warraich secured a Punjab Assembly seat (PP-52) in Sialkot by a wide margin amid rigging allegations by the PTI, according to preliminary results issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday. The by-election for PP-52 (Sambrial) took place yesterday, two months after the seat had fallen vacant following the demise of PML-N MPA Arshad Javed Warraich — father of the winning candidate. Analysts had expected a tough one-on-one contest between the ruling PML-N and the PTI-backed aspirants, whereas the PPP had also been running an aggressive campaign in Sambrial to perform better in the race. According to Form-47 issued by the ECP today and signed by Returning Officer Muhammad Iqbal, Warraich clinched the seat by winning 78,702 votes. Warraich’s main opponent, Fakhir Nashat Ghumman, who was an independent candidate backed by the PTI, was the runner-up with 39,018 votes. PPP’s Raheel Kamran Cheema ranked third with 6,832 ballots cast in his favour, followed by Tehreek-i-Labbaik P...