LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari on Tuesday staged a walkout during a Punjab Assembly session in solidarity with journalists who have been boycotting the provincial legislature over alleged “ill-treatment” during Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s visit to the assembly.

During his three-day visit to Lahore over the weekend, the KP chief minister had given an address at the Punjab Assembly to opposition MPAs last week. However, the visit was marred by altercations between members of his entourage and security officials, while heated exchanges between PTI leaders and journalists were also witnessed.

Speaking during the session on Tuesday, Bokhari staged a walkout to show solidarity with journalists from the Punjab Assembly’s press gallery, who she said were “beaten and pushed around” by people accompanying the KP CM.

During Monday’s assembly session, a statement by opposition member retired Col. Shoaib Amir about the press gallery, calling them “sellouts”, also sparked outrage.

Speaker asks PA secretariat to forward panel report on ‘mayhem’ to police for action; bills amending CrPC, Peeda law introduced

“The whole world witnessed the spectacle in the assembly on the arrival of the KP CM,” she said, adding that preparations had been made for the chief minister’s arrival.

However, she claimed that the KP CM “brought unauthorised persons with him, who claimed to be journalists”.

She alleged that they beat up journalists from the press gallery and misbehaved with them.

“The footage is available in the assembly’s records,” she added.

She further said that rather than apologising, the opposition doubled down on their conduct.

“I was accused of planting journalists during the KP CM’s visit,” she said, questioning if it was wrong to ask the KP CM “how he was finding his Lahore visit.”

“I was told that I had paid my employees to pose as journalists,” she said, vowing that she intended to send a defamation notice.

“In solidarity with what happened with Punjab‘s journalists and with the members of the press gallery, I’m staging a walkout,” the minister said.

She announced that a defamation suit had been prepared and said those making the accusations would have to prove them in the court.Meanwhile, Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Tuesday termed the recent scuffle during the visit of KP chief minister as “regrettable” and directed the assembly secretariat to forward the report of a special investigative committee to the police for further action, stressing that the House operates strictly under rules and discipline.

Chairing the assembly proceedings, he also read aloud the report to the House before adjourning the proceedings for Wednesday (today) morning.

He deplored that he had relaxed the rules to allow entry of the KP CM to members’ lobbies in the spirit of inter-provincial harmony. However, he expressed deep concern over the scenes of pushing and chaos witnessed on television screens, calling them unfortunate.

The assembly session had begun with a delay of two hours and 25 minutes under the chairmanship of Panel of Chairpersons Samiullah Khan.

The House passed bills related to three private universities, approved two resolutions, and introduced three new bills. The new bills were: The Punjab Criminal Prosecution Service (Constitution, Functions and Powers) (Amendment) Bill 2025. The amendment will enable the department’s secretary to file an appeal in any case without prior sanctions from the government.

The Code of Criminal Procedure (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2025 will empower the prosecution department’s secretary to direct the public prosecutor to present an appeal against acquittal (of any accused) without prior permission of the provincial government.

The Punjab Employees Efficiency, Discipline and Accountability (Amendment) Bill 2025 will allow proceedings against a retired employee even two years after his/her retirement.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2025