Daily Times

Following are the highlights of the Punjab Assembly budget session 2024-25 held at the assembly chambers with Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan in the chair here on Thursday.

1.The Punjab Budget for the financial year (FY) 2024-25 started with recitation of the verses from the holy Quran followed by the Naat-e-Rasool-e-Maqbool Khatam-un-Nabiyeen Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H).

2.Speaker PA Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan chaired the budget session.

3.Provincial Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman presented the tax-free Punjab budget for the financial year (FY) 2024-25 with a total outlay of 5446 billion including rupees 842 billion for development projects.

4.Leader of the House Maryam Nawaz Sharif, gracefully clad in yellow attire, remained present during the budget session and interacted with the parliamentarians during her stay at the assembly chamber.

5.Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif placed photo of the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) President Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on the desk of the Leader of the House.

6.The Opposition in the Punjab Assembly staged protest during the budget speech of the Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman and surrounded the Speaker’s dais.

7.Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ‘an ally of the PML-N’ in the house staged symbolic walkout in the house as only two PPP members attended the session. 8.The Secretary Punjab Assembly called the Punjab Assembly security personnel as a scuffle broke out between two treasury benches and the opposition members as the both faced off the protesting parliamentarians.

9.The Speaker PA Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, however, intervened and ordered the security personnel to return.

10.The speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, on completion of the day’s business, adjourned the budget session till June 20 (Thursday) at 11 a.m. in the assembly chambers.