Federal officers’ posting: Punjab Assembly refers issue to law reforms body

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Monday referred the issue of the appointment of federal officers to provincial posts to the Committee on Law Reforms, while also sending the matter of school attendants (ayas) employed on a monthly salary of Rs8,000 in government schools to the relevant standing committee.

The session, chaired by Speaker Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, witnessed a heated debate over administrative appointments and employment conditions before ending prematurely due to a lack of quorum.

Speaking on a point of order, opposition MPA Rana Aftab expressed concern over what he termed the increasing trend of appointment of federal officers to key positions in Punjab at the expense of provincial officers. He argued that the trend was creating a sense of deprivation among provincial civil servants and alleged that service rules were not being followed in the province. He urged the House to exercise its constitutional authority and demanded that the opposition’s viewpoint be included in the committee examining the issue.

Responding to the remarks, Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan clarified that the Judicial Committee’s mandate was limited to matters relating to the privileges of Assembly members referred by the Privileges Committee and that it had no judicial powers to adjudicate administrative disputes.

During the question hour, MPA Amjad Ali Javed raised the issue of ayas recruited in government schools on a monthly salary of Rs8,000. He said nearly 80 percent of the employees were highly educated, while the minimum wage for sanitation workers had been fixed at Rs40,000 per month.

Parliamentary Secretary Nausheen Adnan defended the arrangement, stating that the ayas worked only three hours a day. However, Raja Shaukat Bhatti, who was chairing the sitting as a member of the Panel of Chairpersons, declared the response unsatisfactory and referred the matter to the relevant committee for detailed consideration.

Immediately after the question hour, treasury member Ali Haider Noor Niazi pointed out the lack of quorum during the session, which had been convened on the opposition’s requisition. The move triggered noisy protests in the House. Niazi criticised the opposition, saying it frequently requisitioned Assembly sessions at the taxpayers’ expense but failed to ensure the presence of its own members to meet the constitutional quorum requirement.

Following a headcount, the chair ordered the Assembly bells to be rung to summon members. However, the opposition failed to complete the required quorum, forcing the chair to adjourn the session until 2:00pm on Tuesday.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026