Speaker's Message: Rulebook for rational dialogue
I invite you to read my recent article titled “Rulebook for Rational (https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1219906-rulebook-for-rational-dialogue)
As the speaker of the Punjab Assembly and custodian of the House, I am committed to fostering a culture of reasoned and respectful debate. This is essential for a healthy representative democracy.
Deliberations cannot occur without rational discussion, and rational discussion cannot exist without mutual respect. Shouting and verbal abuse are no substitutes for reasoned arguments. Instead, abuse only serves to undermine the strength of the House and the will of democracy at large.
The crucial task of strengthening democracy cannot be achieved without an effective legislature. An effective legislative assembly includes a vibrant and active opposition. I understand that our society is highly polarized, and this naturally finds its way into the assembly as well. However, the assembly, as a shared space, provides a unique opportunity to create a sanctimonious environment within which a polarized society may heal by virtue of a common interest in the proceedings of the House.
The problems besetting our province of 127 million people are immense. And the most important place where we can actively work to resolve them is the legislature. Constructive work within the assembly is contingent upon a healthy and deliberative environment. The issues faced by this densely populated province cannot be overcome through fighting within the House. A deliberative assembly that debates, guides the government, and holds the executive accountable is the need of the hour.
The historical trajectory of how the House has often been conducted in the recent past would disgrace any seasoned parliament. However, with a strong belief that previous errors are to be learned from and not mourned over, I am determined to ensure that this time, we do things differently.
With this vision at the heart of my conduct as speaker of the Punjab Assembly, I have taken several steps to provide fair opportunities to the opposition members within the assembly.
First, I have accepted and ruled on an unprecedented number of opposition points of order. I have, so far, announced five rulings (in just the first five months of the assembly) on the points of order raised by the opposition; and two out of five points of order were declared in order, so much so that we suspended the membership of 27 treasury MPAs on a point of order raised by the opposition.
During the tenure of the previous assembly (2018-23), the speaker had announced only five rulings in more than four years. I also notified and provided space for the deputy leader of the opposition. Similarly, in April 2024, despite hesitation by the government, the issue of wheat procurement was put to debate for four days on the agenda of the assembly at the insistence of the opposition benches.
The point I am attempting to make here is that opposition members have been given ample time to voice their concerns on the floor of the House and I have strived to run the House in a neutral and unbiased manner.
Second, to support and strengthen the Punjab Assembly, we have established a dedicated Parliamentary Development Unit (PDU) to spearhead legislative reform, ensure capacity building of the members, and modernize the approach to policymaking within the house.
Under this initiative, we have established a parliamentary research centre to assist members with assembly proceedings. The aim behind this is to ensure that the debates and discussions taking place within the house are of the highest quality and cadre. The services of these initiatives are available to all members of the assembly without any discrimination based on party.
Third, we have undertaken the monumental task of revising the Rules of Procedure of the Punjab Assembly. Recognizing the importance of cross-party ownership of this exercise, due representation was given to members of the opposition bench and their suggestions were incorporated. A substantial number of changes, including those relating to supplementary assembly questions among others, were made on the demand of the opposition members.
Fourth, my office personally undertook the initiative of devolving the speaker's powers to the standing committees to strengthen them, increase their efficiency, and allow room for members to work autonomously. Immediate steps have been taken to activate these committees, with several already operational.
The purpose behind highlighting a few of our recent measures is to communicate the momentum and spirit with which I had hoped to conduct the business of this House to strengthen the foundation of democracy within the largest provincial assembly of Pakistan.
Unfortunately, however, this spirit has not been reciprocated by the opposition benches. Instead of engaging in constructive debate, avoidable and unprovoked ruckus on the part of the opposition members prevented the leader of the house from speaking in the House. This runs contrary to all parliamentary conventions, norms, and practices. Not only in Pakistan but across the world.
The established norm is that when the leader of the house and the leader of the opposition have the floor, parliamentary traditions require that they be heard. Fiscal oversight is the most basic function of the House. The intense disruption was deliberately caused during the budget session – the most important session and exercise of the year. This conduct, at a critical juncture of assembly proceedings that would seal the fate of provincial finances for the entire year, stands contrary to all established parliamentary practices.
The right to protest is not absolute; it has its limitations. The scope of the right in the assembly proceedings is extremely narrow. It has to be balanced by the consideration of the smooth conduct of the proceedings of the House. The right cannot be exercised at the cost of the core functions of the assembly.
This was done even though whenever the leader of the opposition has stood to speak, I have ensured that he is heard respectfully. Likewise, the number of members given the floor to debate the budget during the 2018-23 tenure ranged between 64 and 147 while during Budget 2024-25, we accommodated a record 154 members with equal representation from the treasury and opposition benches.
The opposition’s behaviour is compounded by the fact that they committed to decorum and orderly behaviour in the Business Advisory Committee but consciously disrupted the leader of the house’s budget speech, resorting to condemnable language against the chief minister and her family. It is important to note here that the speaker voluntarily included an equal number of opposition members in the Business Advisory Committee, a ratio much higher than their proportion of seats in the assembly.
An effective assembly runs on accountability and requires the leader of the house and ministers to be present and respond to the members. The opposition’s disruptive and derogatory attitude discourages the executive from attending the House, undermining any efforts at effective deliberation.
The spirit of democracy dictates that, despite all and any form of resistance, dialogue and effective parliamentary tools are the only way forward. While revising the Rules of Procedure, we found that our House lacks a dedicated Committee on Ethics. Other elected houses across the globe, including Pakistan’s Senate, already have committees dedicated to this. While we have a Business Advisory Committee with equal representation for the opposition, its scope is limited.
There is a critical need for an Ethics Committee to lay out the code of conduct of members and promote ethical, respectful, and productive interactions. To address this, I have constituted an Ethics Committee with representation from both sides of the aisle. The committee will develop a comprehensive code of conduct and ensure discipline as needed. I believe and hope that this will foster a culture of mutual respect and rational debate in the Assembly.
By working together in a spirit of cooperation and respect, we can ensure the Punjab Assembly fulfills its role as a role model of democratic values in Pakistan. It is time to set aside our differences, engage in meaningful dialogue, and work towards the betterment of our province.
The writer is the speaker of the Punjab Assembly.
(Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan)
Speaker, Provincial Assembly of Punjab