The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday passed the Punjab Infrastructure Development Cess Bill 2026 during a tense session marked by repeated quorum issues, heated exchanges between treasury and opposition lawmakers, and concerns over low wages and overcrowded prisons.
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The session, chaired by Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, began nearly an hour late and opened with prayers for martyred Lt Col Khalid Hussain.
During the Question Hour related to the Zakat and Ushr Department, the speaker expressed concern over reports that some clerical staff members were receiving monthly salaries of only Rs20,240. Calling the situation unacceptable, he described such wages as a violation of basic human rights and directed the relevant committee to submit a detailed report in the next session.
Parliamentary Secretary Malik Iftikhar Ahmad stated that some employees reportedly worked only a few days each month, but the speaker maintained that the low salaries could not be justified. Several lawmakers also warned that inadequate wages could contribute to corruption and demanded stronger financial support for low-income workers and students.
The assembly was also informed about severe overcrowding in Punjab’s prisons. PML-N lawmaker Tahira Mushtaq told the House that more than 71,000 inmates were currently lodged in prisons across the province despite an official capacity of 38,000. She highlighted overcrowding at Adiala Jail, where over 8,000 prisoners are reportedly being housed against a capacity of just above 2,100.
Officials acknowledged the issue and said new prisons were under construction to help reduce overcrowding.
Throughout the proceedings, opposition members repeatedly pointed out a lack of quorum, forcing the chair to suspend proceedings several times. Despite the disruptions, the House passed the Punjab Infrastructure Development Cess Bill 2026 after rejecting opposition amendments.
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The session was later adjourned until Thursday after quorum could not be completed despite repeated efforts by treasury members.