LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Monday introduced several bills, including the The Punjab Khal Panchayat (Repeal) Bill 2025, The Punjab Sahulat Bazaars Authority Bill (2025), The Notaries (Amendment) Bill 2025 and The Provincial Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2025. The bills have been referred to the relevant standing committees for review and will be sent back to the assembly after two months.
The session started one hour thirty five minutes late under the chair of speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan.
Earlier, while speaking on the floor of the House, opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Ahmad Khan Bhacher severely criticized Punjab government during pre-budget debate in the provincial assembly, accusing the ruling party of neglecting public welfare, failing to curb inflation, and mishandling governance.
He demanded that government should fulfil its committeemen of providing healthcare and education to the people of the province. He challenged officials to show their one-year performance in agriculture sector. He lambasted departments for providing ‘false answers’ on law and order.
Highlighting alarming price hike, Bhacher said that price of chickpeas surged by 72%, flour by 59%, and rice by Rs100 per kilogram. The price of Ghee rose from Rs450 to Rs 550 PKR. The price of beef is Rs1,400 per Kg and the price of milk is Rs 220 per liter. He questioned in this situation how the common man will survive.
Earlier, an important meeting of the Council of Chairpersons was held in the Punjab Assembly under the chairmanship of Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan. It focused on amendments to the Rules of Procedure, pending business of standing committees, and the scheduling of committee meetings.
During the meeting, the Speaker highlighted the significance of parliamentary committees, stating that wherever there is a parliamentary system, committees play a crucial role. He said this was the first-ever meeting of the Council of Chairpersons in the history of the Assembly. He further explained that previously, committees could only deliberate on referred matters, whereas now they have the authority to review all rules comprehensively. He also mentioned that a proposal to allocate offices for committee chairpersons has been sent to the Chief Minister.
The Speaker informed the attendees that the number of standing committees in the Punjab Assembly has increased from 37 to 48, ensuring that each department under the Assembly’s jurisdiction now has a dedicated committee. He asserted that this Assembly cannot be compared to the previous 17 assemblies, as the current standing committees are more active and empowered than ever before.
However, the Punjab Assembly unanimously passed a commendatory resolution recognising the successful hosting of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) South Asia Regional Conference. The resolution hailed the conference as a diplomatic triumph for Pakistan, fostering in-depth deliberations on global challenges such as climate change, artificial intelligence (AI), and socio-economic disparities.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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