LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly was informed on Tuesday that no one was deprived of their jobs because of merger of the population welfare department with the health department.

During the session, which again commenced with a delay of one hour and 57 minutes, written questions related to Primary & Secondary Healthcare and PopulationWelfareDepartments were taken up.

In response to a question by Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, Health Minister Khwaja Imran Nazir said the two departments have been merged and named as Department of Health and Population.

Treasury MPA Ahsan Razaalso asked whether the cabinet`s approval had been sought for the merger in view of the job losses.

The minister Nazir reassured that the merger was aimed to improve efficiency and address the longstanding issue of population management.

The minister told the house that the departments` merger hascause onjob losses.

He also clarified the news regarding `privatisation` of the basic health units (BHUs) and tehsil headquarters hospitals (THQs), and said that with the help of mobile health clinics the number of patients visiting the OPD`s at the public healthcare facilities had decreased.Earlier, the opposition members entered the assembly hall carrying banners and chanting slogans demanding Imran Khan`s release.

Rana Shehbaz, an oppositionmember, criticised the lack of healthcare facilities at RHU Garh Maharaja, Jhang, and had an argument with the minister regarding the missing facilities.

The spealcer emphasised the urgent need for population control in Punjab, warning that the province`s population could reach 220 million by 2035 if went unchecked.

He said that in the past the Population Welfare Department was considered unimportant, but now that it has been merged with the health department, good results are expected.

The chair also expressed strong concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation and the illegal use of weapons in the province.

He condemned recent incidents of violence, including the murder of a young man in Khudian Khas, Kasur, and thekilling of a mother by her son.

Treasury MPA Iftikhar Hussain Chhachhar complained that the killers of the young man, in Khudian Khas, were roaming free, and the police were allegedly protecting them.

Meanwhile, several bills were tabled in the assembly, including The Punjab Letters of Administration and Succession Certificates (Amendment) Bill 2025, The Universities and Institutes Laws (Amendment) Bill 2025, The National College of Business Administration and E conomics L ahore (Amendment) Bill 2025, The Factories (Amendment) Bill 2025, and The Punjab Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2025.

All bills were referred to relevant committees for vetting and reporting back to the house in two months.

Opposition Leader AhmedKhan Bhachar moved a resolution on the increasing cases of cancer. It said that only 410 beds were available for cancer patients in the province. He called for taking Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital as a model for the provision of health facilities.

MPA Shoaib Siddiqui`s resolution regarding the construction of a five-star hotel in the Gaddafi Stadium`s vicinity was also adjourned for want of response by the authorities concerned.

The resolution moved by PPP MPA Neelam Jabar Chaudhry regarding the increasing cases of rape, child sexual abuse, and the harassment of women in society was unanimously adopted. It held the unchecked spread of obscene content on social media responsible for such offences.