Punjab Assembly passes budget amid PTI walkout

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly approved the provincial budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year on Friday after a charged session in which opposition lawmakers from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf walked out during proceedings on budget grants.

The budget session saw the opposition protest that it had not been given enough time to speak on cut motions. PTI members also pointed to a lack of quorum before eventually leaving the House during the approval process for the grants.

After the opposition’s walkout, the assembly cleared all 131 demands for grants and also passed the Finance Bill, formally adopting the Punjab government’s budget for 2026-27.

Clashes during debate

Senior Minister Maryam Aurangzeb defended the provincial government’s performance during the debate, with particular focus on arrangements made for Ashura. She said more than 124,000 security personnel had been deployed and that advanced tools including thermal drones, QR codes and Safe City surveillance cameras were used for the first time to ensure security.

Aurangzeb also highlighted the government’s development plans, saying that more than 340 of 437 development schemes had already been approved. She said work was under way on projects related to climate change mitigation, smog control, forestry, clean drinking water, south Punjab and public welfare.

She also criticised the opposition, saying it had neither studied the budget nor examined the facts. Her speech was repeatedly interrupted by opposition lawmakers chanting slogans, while treasury members responded from their benches.

The atmosphere in the House grew increasingly tense as lawmakers from both sides moved into confrontations across the aisle. Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman then asked the deputy speaker to suspend opposition members, alleging that they had raised slogans against the ruling party’s leadership.

He said the Business Advisory Committee had already agreed that no member would target another party’s leadership during the proceedings. Despite the disruptions and the opposition’s eventual exit, the treasury completed the passage of the budget and related financial legislation in the session.