LAHORE: In an unprecedented move, the treasury members walked out of the House following a heated confrontation with the opposition in the Punjab Assembly on Friday during the general debate on the budget for the fiscal year 2026-27.
Opposition leader of the assembly, Moin Riaz Qureshi, dismissed the budget as a publicity-driven document that has nothing to do with the public needs, while government lawmakers defended it as a roadmap for development, welfare and public service.
Slogans, protests and sharp exchanges between members added to the charged atmosphere in the House.
The assembly session began with a delay of one hour and ten minutes, after which the budget debate commenced with a critical speech by Mr Qureshi. He argued that the budget failed to reflect public aspirations and alleged that the government prioritised “promotion” of the ruling family over genuine development projects.
He criticised the outsourcing of schools, the wheat policy, difficulties faced by farmers and delays in development schemes, saying these are evidence of the government’s administrative failure.
The atmosphere became more tense when most of the treasury members, led by the finance minister, staged a walkout during Qureshi’s speech, in an unprecedented move.
Deputy Speaker Zaheer Iqbal, who was chairing the proceedings, sent PPP’s Ali Haider Gilani and Rana Babar to convince and bring back the protesting treasury members. They succeeded in wooing the protesters back to the House, allowing the debate to continue, with lawmakers from both sides actively participating in it.
Responding to the opposition’s criticism, Communications Minister Sohaib Bharth defended the government’s performance, stating that development work was progressing rapidly across Punjab. He said thousands of kilometres of roads had been constructed and maintained and that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s initiatives were setting new standards in public service delivery.
Chief Whip Rana Arshad described the budget as a reflection of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s vision and Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s leadership. He said the Rs5.3 trillion budget allocated record funds for health, education, farmers and vulnerable segments of society.
Opposition members, however, expressed serious reservations, claiming that south Punjab and other underdeveloped regions had been overlooked. They argued that several development projects were still awaiting funding and pointed to deficiencies in basic civic services.
The first day of the budget debate witnessed an intense political contest, with the government portraying the budget as a vehicle for development and public relief, while the opposition denounced it as unbalanced and more focused on political image-building than addressing public concerns.
The debate on the provincial budget will continue for the next four days.
At the conclusion of the agenda, Panel of Chairpersons member Malik Ahmad Saeed Khan adjourned the session until 11am on Saturday.
Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2026