LAHORE: For the first time in its history, the Punjab Assembly formally opened a debate on administrative federalism, taking up the long-standing issue of appointments of federal (DMG/PAS) officers on provincial posts.

The discussion emerged during the Question Hour when MPA Chaudhry Javed raised a query regarding the placement of DMG officers on key provincial positions.

The exchange triggered a wider constitutional debate on whether such appointments are consistent with the spirit of provincial autonomy guaranteed under Pakistan’s federal structure.

Treasury MPA Ahmad Iqbal Chaudhary, in a supplementary question, sought clarity on the constitutional justification for these appointments, noting that the practice may contravene the principles of administrative federalism. He termed it a no-confidence in the ability of the Provincial Management Service raised by the province itself. His remarks sparked bipartisan engagement, with several MPs from both sides of the aisle joining the discussion in rare unanimity.

The level of interest and concern expressed by the House compelled the Chair to refer the matter to the Standing Committee on Services & General Administration Department (S&GAD) for further examination.

Session marred by protests, lack of quorum

Against most of the positions in grades 19 and above, Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS or DMG) officers working in Punjab in violation of the so-called 1993 agreement or arrangement under which the appointment ratio between the federal and provincial cadres would range between 35:64 and 40:60 respectively.

The Provincial Selection Board-One (PSB-1) that decides promotions from BPS-19 to BPS-21, is headed by the chief secretary (from the PAS cadre) with an overwhelming majority of its members also from the PAS cadre and only one from the PMS.

PMS cadre officers allege that the board deliberately promotes officers of the provincial cadre to keep the posts vacant for PAS cadre.

PA session: A Punjab Assembly sitting on Friday descended into chaos after a fiery speech by a treasury lawmaker triggered strong protests from the opposition, eventually forcing the session to end prematurely due to a lack of quorum.

The sitting, chaired by Samiullah Khan from the panel of chairpersons, began nearly two hours late. The session proceeded smoothly through the Question Hour until treasury MPA Ahsan Raza took the floor and delivered a forceful tribute to Field Marshal Gen Asim Munir on his elevation as the Chief of Defence Forces.

Mr Raza hailed Gen Munir as a “national hero who defeated India,” adding that his appointment under the guidance of PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reflected the nation’s confidence in the military leadership. He alleged that the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) was “conspiring against the state and the nation from jail”. The remarks immediately provoked loud protests and sloganeering from the opposition benches.

As opposition members thumped desks and shouted in objection, the chair struggled to maintain order inside the House.

Earlier, during the Question Hour, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Shuja responded to queries related to the Services & General Administration Department (S&GAD). Treasury MPA Amjad Ali Javed also took the opportunity to commend Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for allowing the introduction of Punjabi language in educational institutions across the province.

However, the already heated atmosphere deteriorated further when opposition MPA Imtiaz Sheikh pointed out the lack of quorum. Upon counting, the House failed to meet the required number of members (93) to continue proceedings. As a result, Chairperson Samiullah Khan adjourned the session until Dec 8 (Monday) at 2pm.

The tumultuous session, lasting only about an hour and a half, highlighted ongoing tensions between the government and the opposition, as both sides continued to trade accusations inside the Assembly.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2025