Budget approval postponed amid opposition protests in Punjab Assembly

Lahore: The Punjab Assembly session on Friday fell away into chaos due to persistent uproar from the opposition, resulting in the postponement of the budget approval.

The session, presided over by Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, saw significant disruption, particularly during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's address. The opposition's continuous noisy protests compelled the Speaker to adjourn the session until 2 PM on Saturday. "I have tried to run the House in an orderly manner, but next time, I will use my constitutional authority to maintain order," Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan stated.

In response to the disorderly conduct, the Speaker suspended the membership of 11 opposition members for 15 days. The suspended members include Zulfiqar Ali, Shehbaz Ahmed, Tayyab Rashid, Muhammad Atif, Sheikh Imtiaz, Hafiz Farhat Abbas, Ijaz Shafi, Rana Aurangzeb, Shoaib Amir, Usama Asghar, and Asad Abbas.

Additionally, the official vehicle of opposition leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar was confiscated following his protest during the Chief Minister's speech. Bhachar left the assembly in his personal vehicle, and the Punjab Assembly Secretariat also withdrew all staff from his chamber.

Bhachar criticized the Speaker's actions as retaliatory and intended to please the Chief Minister, claiming that parliamentary traditions were being violated. He emphasized that it is the opposition's duty to highlight anti-people measures in the budget and that such retaliatory actions would not prevent them from addressing public concerns.

In a related incident, Deputy Opposition Leader Moeen Riaz Qureshi was barred from entering the assembly. Qureshi explained that he went to the assembly for an important task but was stopped by security, who informed him that a wireless message had been received banning his entry. Consequently, he returned after being denied access.

After the session, Provincial Information Minister Azma Bokhari commented that while the Chief Minister was discussing measures to reduce inflation and developmental projects, the opposition resorted to unruly behavior in the House.

“We have decided to respond to the opposition in kind. They have made it a habit to use foul language about our leader. We were also in opposition but never behaved so disrespectfully,” Azma stated.

The Punjab Assembly is scheduled to reconvene on Saturday at 2 PM to continue the budget discussions.