LAHORE: Lawmakers showed little interest in the pre-budget discussion in the Punjab Assembly on Thursday as only a few of them, from both sides of the aisle, were present during the session.

None of them talked on broad policy issues and those who took part in the debate presented problems of their respective constituencies.

Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja was also missing when the pre-budget debate resumed in the house on the second day of the session.

Opposition leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar wondered why the government had convened the pre-budget sitting when it did not have time to note suggestions from the MPAs. He said rather the government should share details of the consumption of funds allocated in the previous budget.

The proceedings started over two hours late than its scheduled time as the opposition PTI members again protested over the beginning of the sitting, demanding release of their party founder Imran Khan and an end to alleged victimisation of its workers.

Panel of chairman Samiullah Khan regretted that the PTI did not even wait for the national anthem before lodging its protest.

Both treasury and opposition members criticised the Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Khawaja Sulman Rafiq, secretary and special secretary of the department for being absent during question hour pertaining to the department.

Treasury MPAs Ahmed Iqbal and Raja Shaukat Bhatti were not satisfied with the answers to their written queries by Parliamentary Secretary Rushda Lodhi. Amjad Ali Javed, another ruling party legislator, wondered why the officials concerned of the department did not properly brief Ms Lodhi before the question hour.

Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party MPA Shoaib Siddiqui regretted traffic mismanagement in the provincial capital during the recent cricket matches. He said holding of an international event was an honour for the country, but the traffic mess created on such occasions was unacceptable.

He reiterated the suggestion of constructing a five-star hotel inside the Gaddafi Stadium for the stay of cricketers to save the city from traffic issues during the cricket teams’ movement from their hotel on The Mall to the stadium.

Samiullah Khan suggested that a joint resolution from the house should be forwarded to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to give a serious consideration to the proposal of building a hotel at the stadium.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2025