LAHORE: The Punjab government on Monday faced another setback in the provincial assembly as it once again failed to maintain the required quorum, forcing Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan to adjourn the 45th session until Tuesday after opposition members pointed out the lack of quorum.
The government business had barely begun when opposition member Col Shoaib Ameer (retd) drew the speaker’s attention to the shortage of members. The house was adjourned for five minutes to complete the quorum, but the required strength could not be achieved. The speaker subsequently prorogued the sitting until 2:00pm on Tuesday.
Earlier, the session began two hours and seven minutes late under the chairmanship of Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan. During the national anthem, opposition member Iqbal Khattak pointed out that uniformed personnel had failed to salute. The speaker directed the officials to observe the protocol during the national anthem.
The opposition also grilled the government over the proposed recovery of e-challan fines by police. Rana Aftab Ahmad questioned the proposal, alleging that the police were being given excessive powers and sought clarification about the authority under which the proposal had been made.
The speaker also raised objections, observing that empowering authorities to block a defaulter’s passport would amount to an overreach.
Sardar Shahabuddin drew the house’s attention to flood devastation in his constituency, saying hundreds of houses had been swept away and thousands of families affected. The speaker directed Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafiq to contact deputy commissioners of the affected districts and brief the house on the situation.
Shazia Abid raised concerns over alleged underpayments to workers employed under the Suthra Punjab programme and said a number of employees were leaving the programme.
The assembly also passed a resolution welcoming the joint defence agreement among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye.
However, the opposition’s quorum call once again brought the proceedings to a halt, highlighting the government’s continued difficulty in ensuring adequate attendance in the house.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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