LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Monday referred two key issues – the posting of federal officers in Punjab and the employment of school attendants on a monthly stipend of Rs8,000 – to standing committees before the sitting was adjourned until Tuesday (today) after the opposition failed to maintain quorum.

The session, chaired by Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, began over two hours behind schedule.

Speaking on a point of order, opposition member Rana Aftab criticised what he described as the increasing appointment of federal officers to positions in Punjab, saying provincial officers viewed the practice as discriminatory.

He alleged that service rules were not being followed and warned that the issue would worsen if the assembly did not exercise its oversight role. He also demanded that the opposition’s viewpoint be included in the committee examining the matter.

In response, the speaker clarified that the Judicial Committee only deals with questions of members’ privileges referred by the Privileges Committee and does not possess judicial powers.

He later referred the broader issue of the posting of federal officers in the provinces to the Assembly’s Committee on Law Reforms for further examination.

During the question hour, PML-N MPA Amjad Ali Javed raised the issue of attendants (ayas) employed in government schools on a monthly salary of Rs8,000.

He claimed that around 80 per cent of the attendants were highly educated and questioned why they were being paid far below the minimum wage, noting that sanitation workers receive a minimum monthly salary of Rs40,000.

Parliamentary Secretary Nausheen Adnan replied that the attendants worked only three hours a day.

However, Panel of Chairpersons Raja Shaukat Bhatti termed the response unsatisfactory and referred the matter to the relevant standing committee for detailed consideration.

Soon after the question hour concluded, treasury member Ali Haider Noor Niazi pointed out a lack of quorum during the session, which had been requisitioned by the opposition.

The move triggered noisy protests in the House.

Mr Niazi criticised the opposition for calling the session but failing to ensure the presence of enough members. Following the quorum call, the chair ordered the assembly bells to be rung, but the opposition was unable to muster the required strength.

As the House remained inquorate, the chair adjourned the session until 2pm on Tuesday (today).

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2026