LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly session began on Monday after a fifty-minute delay, with Panel of Chairpersons member Raheela Khadim Hussain in chair.
The session quickly turned contentious as opposition members protested the absence of key government figures, leading to heated exchanges and an eventual adjournment due to a lack of quorum.
Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, responding to questions during the session, disclosed that 60 positions remain vacant in Toba Tek Singh district under the Finance Department. He further stated that there are sixteen unfilled posts in the Punjab Treasury and Accounts Service and seven under the Controller General of Accounts.
The minister explained that officials from other districts are being temporarily reassigned to address the staffing gaps. He also revealed that 123 Finance Department employees have pending court cases, warning that their reinstatement could create administrative complications.
The opposition; however, shifted focus to the conspicuous absence of ministers and parliamentary secretaries. Opposition lawmakers Rana Aftab Ahmed and Rana Shehbaz criticised the government’s lack of engagement. Shehbaz questioned how parliamentary queries would be addressed without ministers present.
Tensions escalated when Rana Shehbaz chanted some heated slogans that triggered uproar. Amid the disorder, the government presented the Punjab Forensic Science Agency’s annual performance reports spanning 2013 to 2023.
With the opposition’s grievances going unaddressed, lawmaker Waqas Man formally pointed out the lack of quorum. Chairperson Raheela Khadim Hussain ordered the assembly bell to be rung continuously for five minutes, but the government failed to ensure sufficient attendance. As the treasury benches could not complete the quorum, the panel of chairpersons adjourned the session until 2 PM on Tuesday, May 20.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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