By Asim Shahzad
LAHORE: Twenty-six suspended opposition members of the Punjab Assembly were officially reinstated on Monday following successful negotiations between the government and opposition benches.
Read also: Punjab Assembly speaker rejects disqualification references against 26 opposition lawmakers
Acting Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Chanar ordered their reinstatement after Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman requested their return to the House, citing the Chief Minister’s desire for constructive parliamentary engagement.
The Assembly Secretariat issued a notification confirming the reinstatement, which was presented on the floor of the House.
According to details, the reinstatement came after a tense standoff that began on June 27, when the opposition created a major uproar during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s budget speech, resorting to verbal abuse and harassment. In response, the Speaker suspended 26 members from the Assembly for 15 sittings. The situation escalated further when four government lawmakers submitted disqualification petitions against the suspended members to be forwarded to the Election Commission.
However, Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan proposed dialogue instead of punitive action. Three rounds of negotiations, held from July 11 to July 17, resulted in an agreement. It was mutually decided that: Protests in the House would remain moral and within parliamentary norms, speeches by the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition would be heard in silence and obscene or abusive language would be strictly prohibited.
Following the agreement, the Speaker dismissed the four disqualification petitions, paving the way for the opposition’s return.
During the session, Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman emphasized, “This is the Chief Minister’s wish as well. I request the Speaker to allow the opposition members to return and represent their constituencies freely.”
Acting Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Chanar agreed, stating, “Reinstating the opposition sends a positive message of democratic unity.” He ordered immediate restoration, after which the opposition resumed participation in the session. Until then, the opposition had been boycotting the Assembly proceedings in protest of the suspension.
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