Provincial Assembly to return controversial bill to government for amendments
Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan made the announcement during a session that began more than two hours late.
Addressing the House, the speaker said the Assembly Secretariat would send the bill back to the law department, which would forward it to the provincial cabinet for the required changes.
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He further stated that the proposed legislation would be thoroughly redrafted before being reintroduced in the Punjab Assembly for approval.
Khan noted that while similar laws addressing anti-social behaviour exist in the UK, the Punjab government aims to refine the bill to ensure it addresses public concerns and safeguards human rights.
Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan acknowledged that opposition MPA Rana Aftab Ahmed had formally raised concerns about the bill with the Assembly Secretariat, adding that it had also undergone extensive deliberations in the relevant standing committee.
The session also witnessed heated exchanges after opposition lawmaker Rana Shahbaz condemned alleged medical negligence at the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital in Ahmadpur Sial. He alleged that a gunshot victim died after being denied timely treatment and accused doctors at government hospitals of routinely neglecting patients.
Minority MPA Phelbus Christopher, meanwhile, protested the district administration’s takeover of Ewing Hall (Neela Gumbad Hostel) at FC College Lahore.
Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat later reassured that the Walled City Authority had taken charge of the building solely for renovation, noting that it had remained closed for two decades due to its deteriorating condition.
He confirmed that the hostel would be returned to the college administration after the restoration work and announced that FCCU had also been included in the chief minister’s laptop scheme.
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The assembly unanimously approved three resolutions. The first, moved by treasury member Mehwish Sultana, highlighted Pakistan’s limited 90-day water storage capacity and warned of growing threats to the country’s water, food, and economic security. It called on the federal government to construct new dams, adopt modern water management practices, and launch public awareness initiatives on water conservation.
A second resolution, presented by Uzma Jabeen, urged authorities to enforce a zero-tolerance policy against drug abuse in public and private educational institutions across the province.
The third resolution, tabled by Shagufta Faisal, hailed the Punjab Assembly’s transformation into Pakistan’s first fully digital and paperless legislature under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
Presiding officer Samiullah Khan said the shift to a digital budget had saved Rs146.25 million by eliminating printed budget documents.
He noted that budget papers for a single lawmaker previously exceeded 34,000 pages at a cost of around Rs225,000, while the current session alone had saved more than 100,000 printed pages.
Marking the International Day of Parliamentarism, Chief Whip Rana Arshad, Ahmad Iqbal and Malik Ahmed Saeed stressed the importance of strengthening local government institutions, arguing that meaningful democracy depends on devolving authority to the grassroots level.
The House also expressed grief over the deaths of children in the roof collapse at a private tuition academy in Lahore’s Kahna area. Speaker Khan urged the chief minister to ensure generous financial assistance for the bereaved families and provide the best possible medical treatment to those injured.
