ISLAMABAD: A day after the PPP’s threat to boycott National Assembly forced the government to withdraw an ordinance issued without President’s assent, the PML-N led government came under fire from the key ally again — this time over the federal takeover of the Rs465 billion Lahore-Bahawalnagar Motorway project in violation of federal fiscal dues.

The issue was raised in the House by PPP lawmakers Syed Naveed Qamar, Dr Sharmila Faruqui and others through a calling attention notice expressing alarm over diversion of resources from nationally strategic projects.

Slamming the Centre for breaching fiscal protocols and undermining provincial autonomy, questioning why a provincial motorway project was being “federalised”, Syed Naveed Qamar criticised the diversion of funds from key federal projects to the Motorway project.

“Such projects are dealt best at the provincial level,” he said. Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani, Minister of State for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, in response said that no funds had been diverted from PSDP to the Lahore-Bahawalnagar Motorway project.

Mr Qamar, however, said it was best course that the government does not divert funds from any source. “And if at all you need to build infrastructure projects, they should come under public-private partnership mode as Sindh is doing. Why it can’t be done in Punjab,” he asked.

Another PPP leader Sharmila Faruqui accused the government of violating fiscal agreements by including the provincial project in the PSDP without provincial consent.

She expressed concern over the National Highway Authority’s Rs2.5 trillion “throw-forward,” calling the project’s federal funding a significant issue. “You cannot include a project in the PSDP unless the province agrees to 50 per cent funding,” she said.

State Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani also said that the government was giving top priority to the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway project and it will be incorporated into the next Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

He said the project comprising five sections will be completed on a fast-track basis and noted that building motorways was the hallmark of the PML-N.

The National Assembly speaker referred the matter to the Planning and Development Panel for further review.

Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry informed the House that illegal call centres operating across the country were being targeted, pointing out that many had been set up in remote areas where there was no legitimate basis for such facilities to exist.

These centres, he claimed, were often linked to financial fraud and scams involving multiple nationalities and were contributing to the country’s negative image abroad.

Responding to another point of order raised by members of the House, Mr Chaudhry said the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) is facing capacity challenges, which had replaced the FIA’s cybercrime wing.

He said at present, only around 523 personnel were available in the country in the authority, whereas complaints of financial fraud, online harassment and other cyber offences were increasing rapidly.

He said the government was according full attention to strengthening the NCCI with experienced officers being posted and new recruitments initiated.

Former speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaisar raised the issue of his bill seeking the right of appeal against verdicts of military courts and was assured by the chair the bill will be placed on agenda on the next private members’ day.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2026