LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly session witnessed on Tuesday strong remarks by Deputy Speaker Zaheer Iqbal Channar over the absence of the local government secretary, as lawmakers discussed alleged corruption in development projects and the deteriorating situation in Bahawalpur.

The House also unanimously passed the Punjab Higher Education Commission (Amendment) Bill 2025.

The assembly met after a delay of over two hours, with the deputy speaker in the chair.

During the Question Hour related to the local government department, the deputy speaker expressed his displeasure over the absence of the secretary and special secretary concerned, asking why senior officers failed to attend the House despite the presence of members and discussion on a multi-billion-rupee budget.

He directed Parliamentary Secretary Khurram Virk to ensure the secretary’s presence and adjourned the session for 30 minutes.

Deputy speaker annoyed over the absence of LG secretary

The session resumed with the Local Government and Community Development secretary present in the House. During deliberations on development projects in Toba Tek Singh, treasury MPA Amjad Ali Javed leveled serious allegations of corruption. The deputy speaker referred the matter to the relevant committee for further probe.

The chair also expressed strong concern over the worsening situation in Bahawalpur, stating that the city was submerged in water while no responsible officer visited the site. He lamented that the assurances given by ministers in the House had failed to translate into action and questioned whether Bahawalpur was not part of Punjab.

Later, the Punjab Higher Education Commission (Amendment) Bill 2025 was unanimously passed, fixing the age limit for the PHEC chairman at 65 years. The bill will now be sent to the governor for his consent to make it a law.

After completing the agenda, the Panel of Chairpersons, Samiullah Khan, adjourned the session till Wednesday at 2pm.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2026