By Asim Shahzad
LAHORE — The Punjab Assembly on Monday passed the Local Government Bill 2025 with a majority vote, despite strong protests and disruptions from the opposition benches. The session, chaired by Acting Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Chanar, began three hours late and witnessed heated exchanges as opposition members tore up copies of the agenda and tried to surround the Speaker’s dais.
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All amendments proposed by the opposition were rejected, triggering loud slogans and commotion in the House. Government lawmakers hailed the bill as a step toward strengthening local democracy, while the opposition termed it “undemocratic” and “centralized.”
During the proceedings, assembly members from both sides expressed solidarity with the Pakistan Armed Forces in the wake of Afghan border aggression, condemning terrorist activities emanating from across the border. They noted that Pakistan had hosted over three million Afghan refugees for decades but still faced hostility, recalling the APS tragedy and recent border attacks. Members asserted that Pakistan would give a befitting response to any aggression.
The debate also touched on the ongoing protests by a religious group, with both the treasury and opposition maintaining their separate stances. Opposition Leader alleged that former Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had been involved in extrajudicial killings and accused the current government of following the same path, saying the police operation launched at night had spread across Punjab.
In response, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman dismissed the allegations, calling the opposition a “pack of liars.” He declared, “If 280 people were killed, I will resign from my ministry,” and demanded to know “in which hospitals the 1,900 injured are being treated.”
After completion of the agenda, the Panel of Chairpersons prorogued the Punjab Assembly session amid continued opposition chants.
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