Closure of loss-making institutions proposed

Speaker warns lawmakers over chronic session delays

LAHORE:

The Punjab government has proposed shutting down the Punjab Provincial Cooperative Bank, arguing that institutions operating as "white elephants" and draining public funds should be closed.

This suggestion was put forward during a heated Punjab Assembly session, where lawmakers also expressed frustration over delays in responses from government departments.

As the session began — delayed by nearly four hours — Opposition members entered the House carrying placards and chanting slogans demanding the release of PTI's founding chairman, Imran Khan. Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan instructed them not to display placards and urged all lawmakers to respect decorum.

PML-N MPA Amjad Ali Javed, while addressing the House, emphasised that the province could no longer afford financially unviable institutions.

"Institutions that are not yielding positive results must be closed down to prevent further losses to the national exchequer," he stated. Supporting this stance, treasury MPA Shehbaz Ali Khokhar raised concerns about administrative inefficiencies, pointing out that some assembly queries took up to ten months for responses, which he deemed unacceptable.

Following the completion of the session's agenda, Deputy Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channer adjourned the House until March 14 at 2:00pm.

Meanwhile, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) submitted a resolution in the Punjab Assembly Secretariat, commending the armed forces for their successful operation near Bolan district, Balochistan.

The resolution, moved by PML-N MPA Uzma Kardar, praised the military's bravery in rescuing passengers of the Jaffar Express train incident.