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Punjab PA approves Rs5,335bn budget
LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Thursday approved a tax-free budget of Rs 5,335 billion for the fiscal year 2025-26, maintaining the current tax structure without imposing any new taxes.
The Finance Bill 2025-26 was also passed, ensuring no changes in provincial taxes, property tax, or transport tax, with no additional levies on industries, agriculture, health, or education sectors.
During the session, the House approved 41 demands for grants worth Rs4,306.9792 billion, while rejecting eight cut motions presented by the opposition. The newly passed budget and finance bill will take effect from July 1, 2025.
Key allocations in the budget includes; Rs120 billion for construction of roads and bridges, Rs462 billion for pensions, Rs258 billion for healthcare facilities, Rs137 billion for education reforms, Rs200 billion for police to maintain law and order, Rs27 billion for jail administration, Rs1 billion for civil defence, Rs26 billion for farmers welfare, Rs66 billion for agricultural loans, Rs18.22 billion for industrial development and Rs37.96 billion for irrigation projects.
Moreover, the assembly approved Rs910 billion for various development projects, Rs161 billion for government buildings, Rs26.5 billion for agriculture, Rs19 billion for veterinary services and Rs1.6 billion for fisheries.
Grants for registration, stamps, motor vehicle acts, and excise were also approved.
Four significant bills were presented by Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman which include Punjab Autism School and Resource Centre Bill 2025, Urban Immovable Property Tax (Amendment) Bill 2025, Essential Commodities Price Control (Amendment) Bill 2025 and Punjab Labour Courts Bill 2025
These bills were referred to relevant standing committees, with the Speaker seeking reports within two months.
During the session, government member Saeed Akbar Nawani raised objections over duplicate serial numbers (35 and 41) in the demands for grants, suggesting they should be merged for clarity.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman responded that the practice was
longstanding but assured a review to determine if a technical merger was
feasible.
The Punjab Assembly session was commenced under the chairmanship of Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan after a delay of 4 hours and 6 minutes. The proceedings began with heated exchanges over a point of order, as government member Munawar Ghous lashed out at the alleged illegal actions of the Counter-Cybercrime Department (CCD).
Ghous claimed that a former councillor from his constituency was unlawfully arrested by a CCD DSP, handcuffed, paraded in public, and humiliated. He further alleged that the officer slapped the detainee, recorded videos, and encouraged bystanders to film the incident, saying, 'Look at him and make videos.'
Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan termed the act unconstitutional and illegal, stating, 'If a video was indeed made, it violates both the law and a High Court order.'
He directed the Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs to investigate the matter, calling it a 'bad practice.'
In response, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman assured the assembly that he would look into the issue immediately.
The Speaker also emphasized the need for the government to disarm the public, stating, 'I will consider this government successful only when it retrieves weapons from people's hands.'
He expressed concern over personal vendettas leading to entire villages living in fear, urging the minister to take the matter to the cabinet. 'Armed civilians spread terror, and murders are occurring in broad daylight,' he added.
Minister Shujaur Rehman responded that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was already working on a campaign to eliminate weapons from society and eradicate such a culture. He recalled that the cabinet had previously discussed reopening arms licences in Punjab.
Meanwhile, Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan read the ruling regarding his decision on June 16th incident in which the Speaker suspend opposition member Hassan Malik for his misconduct during the budget session. The Speaker stated that opposition members attempted to disrupt the budget speech, with Hassan Malik allegedly throwing the budget book at the Finance Minister.
'After reviewing the video footage, it became clear that this behaviour was repeated, forcing the Finance Minister to halt his speech,' the Speaker said.
While acknowledging that protest is a constitutional right, he emphasized, 'I will not allow the assembly to be taken over. I have the authority to suspend members for misconduct. Attempts to obstruct House proceedings will not be tolerated.'
The Speaker warned that strict action would be taken against any member trying to disrupt the assembly's functioning.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
