By Asim Shehzad
LAHORE: A special parliamentary committee tasked with scrutinizing the contentious lease and alleged undervaluation of rent for the historic Lahore Gymkhana Club has stalled for nearly two years without reaching a resolution, raising concerns over administrative resistance and legislative inertia.
Special Committee No. 6, constituted by the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly in 2024, has met only once since its inception—holding its inaugural session in September 2024 before grinding to a complete halt.
The controversy was initially brought to the provincial legislature through an adjournment motion submitted by treasury lawmaker Amjad Ali Javed, who alleged that the prime state land occupied by the elite club was being leased at nominal, significantly below-market rates. Fellow lawmakers Ahsan Raza Khan and Arshad Malik endorsed the motion, prompting the Speaker to establish the committee to conduct an inquiry.
During its sole convening, the committee issued a nine-point questionnaire requiring the management of the Lahore Gymkhana to clarify its lease terms, tenancy agreements, and revenue structures. However, subsequent follow-up sessions were aborted, and the committee has not convened since.
Committee member Pir Ashraf Rasool openly criticized the prolonged impasse, attributing the paralysis to institutional friction.
“The Assembly lost and the bureaucracy won,” Rasool said, noting that repeated requests to schedule further proceedings were ignored. “I think the assembly has compromised.”
The lack of progress leaves the fate of the public property review unresolved, with critics pointing to the committee’s inaction as a reflection of how entrenched bureaucratic interests continue to outmaneuver legislative oversight in matters involving elite institutions.
