The second round of negotiations between the Punjab government and the opposition over the reintroduction of 26 suspended members of the provincial assembly ended Sunday without any decision, although both sides agreed to continue the dialogue in the coming days.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, the government and opposition failed to reach a consensus on the suspension of Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) legislators whose membership remains inactive after a heated session last month.
The legislators were suspended by Punjab assembly speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan after opposition benches disturbed Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s speech on June 27. The session fell into chaos as the treasury and opposition members engaged in a physical shift, despite repeated appeals from the speaker to restore order.
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The ongoing impasse follows a previous consultative meeting between the speaker and the suspended MPAs, where disqualification references submitted against the members were also discussed.
To solve the resistance, speaker Khan formed a negotiating committee for eight members consisting of Chief Whip Rana Arshad, Parliament Minister Mujtaba Shuja-Ur-Rehman, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Samiullah Khan and Ahmad Iqbal. Further representation was included by allied parties: Ali Haider Gillani (PPP), Chaudhry Shafay Hussain (PML-Q) and Shoaib Siddiqui (IPP).
Despite no significant progress in the second round of conversations, both sides signaled readiness to engage further.
Head of the opposition Malik Ahmad Khan Bachhar said there were ongoing discussions and that more meetings were planned. “This was our second meeting and there was agreement to continue the negotiations. Consultations are underway about the assembly procedural rules,” he told journalists.
Bachhar emphasized the need for party-level consultation and noted that such complex questions could not be solved in a single meeting. “We are two different political units. The speaker has called for compliance with the rules, and once agreement has reached agreement, it will be communicated to all stakeholders,” he added.
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In a speech with the media after the meeting, government representatives described the atmosphere as constructive. Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-Ur-Rehman declared that the assembly’s holiness was most important and that the opposition had acknowledged the importance of preserving its dignity. “One or two more meetings may be required, but we hope for a worthy decision,” he said.
He clarified that the government did not try to sest the suspended legislators, but merely asked for the assembly of assembly. “They are selected representatives. Our goal is not punitive, but to ensure that the house works within its prescribed rules,” added Shuja-Ur-Rehman.
