PA session stalled as ministers skip meeting

LAHORE:

The Punjab Assembly once again witnessed disruption on Monday as the habitual absence of ministers and parliamentary secretaries led to the adjournment of the session without taking up any agenda items, sparking strong protest from the Opposition benches.

Despite repeated warnings and stern reminders from Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, including his reported decision to escalate the matter to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the persistent non-appearance of government representatives continues to hamper the functioning of the House.

Efforts by Speaker Khan to address key issues such as the absence of ministers, parliamentary secretaries, and government officials from the official gallery, as well as the chronic delay in starting proceedings on time—have so far failed to yield results.

During Monday's session, only Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman was present. He briefly addressed finance-related queries before exiting the House.

With no other ministers or parliamentary secretaries available to respond to departmental questions or call attention notices, opposition members grew increasingly frustrated.