LAHORE: Concerns over the effectiveness of parliamentary oversight in the Punjab Assembly have intensified after an MPA has complained that responses to lawmakers’ questions are often delayed for months and in some cases nearly a year while a group of legislators separately moved to revive a special committee that has remained inactive since September 2024, despite a mandate to complete its work within two months.
In a letter to Punjab Assembly SpeakerMalik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, opposition MPA Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan warned that delays in Assembly business and the inactivity of standing and special committees were undermining the legislature’s constitutional role, weakening accountability and eroding public confidence in democratic institutions.
He stated that parliamentary oversight relied on timely questions, resolutions, adjournment motions and committee proceedings, but many matters of public importance lost their relevance because official responses arrived long after they were submitted.
The lawmaker also expressed concern over what he described as the persistent inactivity of committees, saying issues referred to them for detailed examination often remained unresolved because meetings were either not convened regularly or delayed indefinitely.
His concerns have gained added significance in light of the recent requisition submitted by seven members of the Special Committee No. 6, which was constituted inSeptember 2024 to examine the affairs of the Lahore Gymkhana Club and the lease of statelandinits occupation.
The committee members informed the convener, Samiullah Khan, that the panel had held only one meeting on Sept 30, 2024, despite being required to submit its report to the Assembly within two months.
According to the requisition, the committee was tasked with examining the legality of the Lahore Gymkhana lease and its compliance with superior court judgments, the government’s authority to reclaim the land for public purposes, compliance with a Colonies department notification issued on May 10, 2023, the construction of allegedly unauthorised permanent structures, potential losses to the public exchequer and their recovery, the club’s use of public land including, a 3.5-acre ground in Bagh-iJinnah, and the criteria governing memberships.
During its only sitting, described by committee members as the first open and publicly telecasted committee proceeding in the Assembly’s history, directions wereissued to the Board of Revenue, Law and Parliamentary Affairs department, Agriculture department, Lahore deputy commissioner and the Audit directorate general to provide records, legal opinions and land-related details.
However, no subsequent meeting was convened, even though the period prescribed for submission of the report expired long ago.
The committee members said departmental reports, legal opinions and valuation records were understood to be available and requested that these documents be shared with members before the next meeting so that deliberations could be meaningful and productive. Invoking Rule 156(3) of the Punjab Assembly Rules of Procedure, they sought a meeting within 14 days.
The requisition was signed by MPAs Ahmer Bhatti, Syed Ali Haider Gilani, Rana Shahbaz Ahmad, Rana Aftab, Rana Muhammad Arshad, Zulfiqar Shah and Malik Ahmad Saeed Khan.
In his letter, Rana Aftab describedstanding committees as the backbone of any parliamentary system, saying their effectiveness lay in their ability to scrutinise government actions, summon officials, seek explanations and formulate recommendations for the House. He argued that the current situation had created a perception that matters referred to committees were being pushed into procedural limbo rather than subjected to meaningful examination.
To strengthen legislative oversight, he urged the speaker to introduce mandatory timelines for responses to Assembly questions, require committees to meet regularly with publicly available schedules, establish periodic reporting on pending references, hold departments accountable for delayed responses and publish annual committee performance reports.
Rana Aftab maintained that active committees and timely parliamentary business were essential for ensuring government accountability and preserving the Assembly’s relevance as an institution of democratic oversight and representation.