ISLAMABAD, March 18, 2024: The Provincial Assembly of Punjab convened on Monday for the first sitting of the fifth session.

The following are key observations of the sitting:

• During the sitting, one lawmaker affiliated with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) took an oath of membership.
• The Finance Minister delivered his budget speech, lasting one hour and one minute. At 1641 hours, the opposition staged a protest on the floor of the house for 30 minutes during the Finance Minister’s speech.
• Three lawmakers raised points of order for a total of six minutes.
• The Minister for Finance tabled the Annual Budget Statement for the final quarter of 2023-2024 (April to June). A supplementary budget was also presented during the sitting. Additionally, the Minister for Finance laid amendments in the Rules under Section 76 of the Punjab Sales Tax on Services Act, 2012, and the Fiscal Risk Statement for the Financial Year 2023-24.
• The Speaker announced a four-member panel of chairpersons, comprising Mr. Rana Munawar Hussain, Mr. Syed Haider Gillani, Mr. Ghulam Raza, and Mr. Abdullah Warraich.
• The sitting commenced two hours and 21 minutes later than scheduled and lasted for an hour and 22 minutes.
• At the start, 165 members were present, while 186 members were present by the end, including eight members elected on reserved seats for minorities.
• The next sitting of the Punjab Assembly will be held on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at 1000 Hours.

This factsheet is based on the direct observation of the House proceedings on March 18, 2024, by the Free and Fair Election Network.

For more updates, visit FAFEN Digital, www.fafen.org and www.openparliament.pk