Opposition vows to boycott official proceedings until MPAs are reinstated
LAHORE – A political standoff in the Punjab Assembly escalated on Friday as suspended opposition lawmakers from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged a parallel session outside the official assembly chamber, highlighting growing tensions over the suspension of 26 MPAs.
While Acting Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channer chaired the formal proceedings inside the House, opposition legislators led by Mian Ijaz Shafi — who acted as symbolic speaker — convened their own session dubbed the Haqiqi Awami Assembly on the assembly grounds.
Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar reaffirmed that opposition lawmakers would boycott the official sessions until the suspended members are reinstated. Calling the move “unjust,” he declared the opposition would continue its alternative assembly sessions in protest.
This defiance comes despite earlier optimism following a third round of negotiations on July 17, which both sides had described as “productive.” However, the deadlock persisted as treasury members insisted that the restoration of suspended lawmakers could only occur through a formal ruling by Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan.
Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman clarified that although the suspension stands, the affected members will retain their right to vote in the upcoming Senate elections.
Inside the official assembly session, prayers were offered for victims of the ongoing floods across Punjab. PML-N lawmakers discussed the flood emergency, commending government efforts on rescue and relief.
Minister Shujaur Rehman noted that the province had been hit with unexpectedly heavy pre-monsoon rains. He announced that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz would soon unveil a financial relief package for those affected and urged MPAs to report local flood damage for timely assistance.
During the question hour, PML-N MPA Ahsan Raza took aim at the previous caretaker government, accusing it of corruption within the Auqaf department.
