The Punjab Assembly continued to grapple with its internal dysfunction, notably delays in proceedings, poor attendance of ministers and frequent absence of key government officials from the official gallery.
Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan had earlier taken a firm stand on punctuality and official presence, issuing repeated ultimatums to lawmakers and directives to the chief whips of both treasury and opposition benches.
He also warned bureaucrats to ensure the attendance of department representatives when questions concerning their ministries appear on the Assembly agenda. However, these efforts have so far failed to yield concrete results.
On Wednesday, the House began its session an hour and a half behind schedule.
Deputy Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channer, presiding in the absence of the Speaker, was forced to adjourn proceedings for 15 minutes after discovering that no officials from the Health Department — including the Secretary for Specialized Health — were present to address listed queries.
The officials eventually appeared after the break, and proceedings resumed with the question-answer session.
During this, PML-N lawmaker Muhammad Arshad Malik raised concerns over inadequate health facilities in Sahiwal and urged the government to bring services at par with cities like Lahore, Multan, and Faisalabad.
In response, Parliamentary Secretary for Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education, Dr Rushda Lodhi, rejected the notion that the government was neglecting Sahiwal. She informed the House that a new hospital is under construction in the city and assured that paramedical staff recruitment would be completed within the year.
Opposition MPA Zarnab Sher questioned the absence of cardiac care facilities in Mandi Bahauddin. Deputy Speaker Channer acknowledged the concern, admitting that children's healthcare infrastructure in the area was lacking.
He assured that in the coming years, burn and children's health complexes would be established in each division. However, the response failed to satisfy Sher.
Meanwhile, for the third consecutive day, lawmakers across party lines praised Pakistan's armed forces for their recent achievements. Brig (retd) Mushtaq Ahmad, representing the opposition, advised the government to prioritize alliances with long-standing partners such as China.
He referenced the emerging regional axis involving Turkiye, Azerbaijan and China post-conflict with India and warned against alienating Beijing. He also called on political parties to abandon the politics of confrontation and instead work collectively for national progress.
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