LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly session was abruptly adjourned on Monday until 2pm on Tuesday (today) after the government failed to maintain the quorum during a chaotic sitting that started nearly two hours later than its schedule.
Presided over by Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, the proceedings quickly descended into turmoil as some of the opposition lawmakers stood atop their desks, chanting slogans against governor’s rule and emergency imposed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Treasury benches were left virtually empty, with only ministers Rana Iqbal and Chaudhry Shafaay Hussain present before the session collapsed.
Addressing the house during the uproar, Opposition Leader Moin Riaz Qureshi slammed what he termed “Form 47 administration” for “driving Pakistan into severe financial ruin”, noting that inflation has surged by 150pc and unemployment by 48pc, along with massive increases in the rates of fuel, electricity, and the US dollar.
He lamented that while India lifted 370 million people out of poverty over four years, Pakistan has sunk into deeper economic distress, becoming the third-poorest country globally.
Qureshi expressed grave concern over the breakdown of law and order, pointing to a recent surge in child rape cases and criticising the state’s failure to protect its citizens.
He also condemned the government’s agricultural policies that forced an agrarian country to import wheat, while warning that those attempting to rule through force over four years have ignored public grievances.
Turning to the national security, he cautioned against imposing emergency in KP and other provinces, comparing them to past missteps in Balochistan, and raised alarm over the mysterious absence of KP chief minister, speaker and provincial leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.
Defending incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, Qureshi stated that the former prime minister is in solitary confinement without basic medical facilities, alongside his wife. He alleged widespread political victimisation under the Maintenance of the Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, including the arrest of Khan’s three sisters, cousin Qasim Zaman, besides over 1,400 persons across Punjab.
He denounced the denial of bail to senior PTI leaders like Dr Yasmin Rashid and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, harsh jail conditions for female leaders, and the detention of lawmakers having long political legacies.
Reaffirming support for uniformed soldiers fighting terrorism, Qureshi urged the speaker to play a constructive role in resolving the political crisis before the rulers have to “flee the country.”
Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2026
