The removal of opposition lawmakers from Punjab Assembly’s standing committees marks a grave regression for parliamentary democracy in Pakistan. In a move that reeks of political vengeance more than institutional discipline, the government has initiated the process of removing nine out of thirteen opposition chairpersons from the house committees – four of whom have already been shown the door. This step, taken in the aftermath of protests during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s speech and the budget session, threatens to turn the legislative apparatus into a one-sided affair devoid of accountability.
Standing committees are the bedrock of legislative oversight. They are designed specifically to maintain checks and balances by scrutinising the work of government departments. Such committees are cross-party units, a fourth of which were currently chaired by members of the opposition PTI. By sidelining the opposition chairpersons, the ruling party risks converting the assembly’s internal watchdogs into echo chambers.
No one can condone the rowdy and inappropriate behaviour displayed by some PTI MPAs. But parliamentary disruptions are hardly new to Pakistan. Previous governments have also faced and tolerated such intense opposition resistance. What makes this move particularly dangerous is its selective and disproportionate nature. The decision to dismantle nearly all opposition-led committees instead of reprimanding individual lawmakers for their conduct casts a wide net over the very idea of opposition itself. In doing so, the ruling dispensation has signalled that political resistance will not only be discouraged in the House, but also structurally removed from its corridors. With the opposition effectively sidelined from committee work, the government will be left to police itself.
Governance without opposition is governance without accountability. The Speaker and the ruling party must reconsider the broader implications of their actions. Stripping oversight in the name of order risks pushing Pakistan’s legislature into a dangerous imbalance.