Punjab opposition MPAs decry neglect of Punjabi in assembly debate

LAHORE: Opposition members in the Punjab Assembly argued on Tuesday that the continued sidelining of Punjabi had played a role in moral decline and the spread of extremism in society, as the house resumed budget debate after a three-hour delay.

During the proceedings, opposition lawmakers criticised what they described as discrimination against the Punjabi language. They said members routinely heard speeches in Urdu and English without objection, but resistance surfaced when a lawmaker tried to speak in his or her mother tongue.

The session also saw a sharp exchange over parliamentary procedure between Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, treasury members and the opposition. The dispute arose after Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique invited the speaker to visit the Suthra Punjab programme headquarters to better understand the department’s work.

Speaker Khan rejected the suggestion and stressed the primacy of the assembly in matters of oversight, telling ministers that they were answerable before the house and should be familiar with its rules. He said parliamentary accountability required ministers and officials to respond in the assembly rather than asking the speaker to visit government offices.

Addressing the minister, Speaker Khan said some cabinet members still needed to understand the assembly’s procedures.

He also urged ministers to change their approach to parliamentary accountability.

The assembly had entered the fifth day of the budget debate when the exchanges took place, with arguments in the house centring on parliamentary procedure, governance issues and the provincial budget.