No breakthrough in Pakistan’s Punjab Assembly talks as political standoff continues

Talks between Pakistan’s ruling party in Punjab province and the opposition failed to yield any progress over the suspension and disqualification proceedings of 26 opposition lawmakers, officials said.

The impasse deepened after two consecutive rounds of negotiations over the weekend ended without agreement. The political dispute stems from a chaotic budget session on June 27, when opposition members disrupted a speech by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz — the first woman to hold the post — triggering disciplinary action.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan responded by suspending 26 opposition legislators for 15 sittings. Ten lawmakers were also fined over PKR 2 million (roughly USD 7,000) for damaging public property. Disqualification references against the suspended members were later sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Despite efforts to cool tensions, Sunday’s talks—like the earlier round held on Saturday—produced no concrete outcome.

Opposition Leader Ahmad Khan Bhachar of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) told reporters after Sunday’s meeting that the talks had so far failed to break the deadlock.

“No apology was offered from either side for the inappropriate language or conduct,” he said, referring to heated exchanges in earlier sessions. “We have made no progress on any matter related to the assembly’s rules and procedures. More meetings will be required.”

Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman, representing the government in the talks, said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, the ruling party, was not seeking to oust opposition lawmakers from office.

“The goal is not to de-seat anyone,” he said. “Negotiations among elected representatives should lead to mutual understanding. This isn’t about striking deals—it’s about following the constitutional and procedural framework.”

Rehman said he remained hopeful that the assembly’s functioning would normalize in the coming days.

The standoff reflects broader political volatility in Pakistan, where tensions between government and opposition forces frequently spill over into legislative paralysis or street protests.

Punjab, the country’s most populous and politically influential province, has long been a focal point of national power struggles.