LAHORE; Efforts to resolve the contentious issue of the speaker’s disqualification reference against opposition lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly remain inconclusive, as committees from both the government and opposition met on Sunday but failed to reach an agreement. However, both sides agreed to continue dialogue in hopes of finding a workable solution.
The session was chaired by Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, who had earlier initiated the reference. Despite extensive discussions, no breakthrough was achieved, and talks ended without consensus on any of the contested points.
Last week, Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan formally submitted a disqualification reference to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against 26 opposition MPAs. The lawmakers stand accused of creating chaos during the assembly’s budget session — involving unruly sloganeering, shouting, tearing official documents, and damaging assembly property.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar sought to downplay any notion of a deadlock. He stated that discussions would continue until a consensus is achieved, emphasizing that such complex matters could not be resolved in merely an hour or two. Bhachar added that they would also consult their respective parliamentary parties before moving forward. He noted that the speaker had underscored the necessity for all parties to strictly adhere to the assembly’s Rules of Procedure.
Punjab Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman echoed a similar cautious optimism. “Nothing is final yet,” he remarked, suggesting that one or two more meetings might be needed to arrive at a resolution. He clarified that the treasury benches do not wish to have opposition lawmakers disqualified or deseated, stressing instead the aim to uphold the sanctity and dignity of the house. Mujtaba reiterated that political disputes should be resolved through dialogue, and said both sides would brief their parliamentary parties on the day’s discussions. He also expressed hope that the outcome in Punjab would serve as a positive precedent for the National Assembly and other provincial legislatures.
According to political insiders, the formation of these negotiation committees by both the government and the opposition reflects a broader strategy to defuse mounting tensions in the Punjab Assembly. They are tasked with negotiating the fate of the disqualification reference, which has fueled considerable political friction.
The reference submitted by the speaker lists several PTI-backed lawmakers, including Malik Farhad Masood, Muhammad Tanveer Aslam, Syed Riffat Mehmood, Yasir Mehmood Qureshi, Kaleem Ullah Khan, Muhammad Ansar Iqbal, Ali Asif, Zulfiqar Ali, Ahmad Mujtaba Chaudhary, Shahid Javed, Muhammad Ismael, and Khayal Ahmad. Other names cited are Shahbaz Ahmad, Tayyab Rashid, Imtiaz Mehmood, Ali Imtiaz, Rashid Tufail, Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal, Khalid Zubair Nisar, Ch Muhammad Ejaz Shafi, Saima Kanwal, Muhammad Naeem, Sajjad Ahmed, Rana Aourang Zaib, Shuaib Ameer, and Usama Asghar Ali Gujjar.
In a related development, 10 opposition lawmakers have also been fined over Rs2 million collectively for acts of vandalism, such as breaking microphones. Each of these members — Chaudhary Javed Kausar, Asad Abbas, Tanveer Aslam, Riffat Mehmood, Muhammad Ismael, Shahbaz Ahmad, Imtiaz Mehmood, Khalid Zubair, Rana Aourang Zaib, and Muhammad Ahsan Ali — faces individual penalties of Rs203,550 based on video evidence of the incidents.
