LAHORE: The 41st session of the Punjab Assembly began with a delay of two hours and 39 minutes despite an ongoing austerity campaign, setting the tone for a sitting marked by political tensions and legislative activity.

The issue of the delay in the start of the assembly proceeding is chronic, with the Speaker and the members blaming each other for it. Such delays result in wastage of government resources, despite the austerity drive launched recently to save fuel and energy.

The session, chaired by Deputy Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channar, opened with prayers for the those martyred in Iran, Gaza and Palestine, as well as for Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, senior parliamentarian Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa and the sister of the Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan.

Tension flared early in the proceedings as an opposition member, Ijaz Shafi, alleged that the opposition leader and five other members had been unlawfully detained for 10 hours. Responding to the claim, a Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker, Mumtaz Chang, said that his party too had faced restrictions in the past, including registration of FIRs and raids on homes.

The treasury members strongly rejected the opposition’s allegations.

Law Minister Rana Iqbal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman maintained that the government remained fully present and accountable in the House, while accusing the opposition of lacking seriousness in running parliamentary proceedings.

During the question hour, the performance of the excise department came under scrutiny, with discussions focusing on taxation mechanisms and penalties.

The government defended the Capital Value Tax system, claiming that the enhanced transparency had significantly reduced corruption in the department.

Two bills — the Stamp (Amendment) Ordinance 2026 and the Punjab Forensic Science Authority (Amendment) Bill 2026 — were also introduced during the session.

Following the completion of the agenda, the session was adjourned until Thursday morning by Panel of Chairpersons member Samiullah Khan.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2026