LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly on Thursday passed the Police Order (Amendment) Bill 2025 by a majority vote, amid strong opposition criticism over the police law, which they termed “draconian.”
Opposition members argued that the amended Police Order grants excessive powers to the police, including the authority to enter homes without a warrant. PTI lawmakers Waqas Mann and Nadeem Qureshi warned that such powers are unacceptable in a civilised society and could lead to misuse.
Responding to the criticism, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Mujtaba Shuja rejected the opposition’s concerns as baseless. He said the government believes in “zero tolerance” against crime and credited Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for a visible decline in crime across the province.
“For the first time, criminals, land grabbers and drug dealers are being dealt with firmly,” he told the House.
Amendment empowers police to enter houses without warrant; House to debate on package for farmers hit by border closure
The session, presided over by Panel of Chairpersons Samiullah Khan, began with a delay of two hours and 23 minutes. After the Question Hour, the assembly also approved the Punjab Agriculture, Food and Drug Authority (Amendment) Bill 2025 by a majority vote.
Earlier, the chair fixed Friday (tomorrow) for debate on an adjournment motion moved by treasury members, demanding a relief package for farmers in view of falling agricultural produce prices caused by the closure of the Afghan border.
Ahsan Raza, mover of the motion,warned that the border trade disruption has severely affected the supply of agricultural commodities and pushed farmers into deeper financial distress.
He said farmers are struggling to recover even their production costs, adding that the already-hit farming community is under mounting pressure. Ahsan Raza urged the government to ensure the early restoration of exports, arrange immediate relief for affected farmers, and formulate a clear policy framework to prevent such crises in the future.
Responding, Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Usama Laghari said the borders were closed due to security concerns, which caused difficulties for farmers. He informed the House that the Ministry of Agriculture has written to relevant authorities, the border has now been reopened, and talks with farmers are ongoing. He added that the federal ministry has again been approached to extend support, and all possible measures are being taken.
Former MPA Amjad Ali Javed said farmers have been incurring losses for the last two years, and the security situation has disrupted the potato trade worth billions of rupees. He noted that the closure of the Afghan route halted trade with neighbouring regions and called on the government to develop alternative routes. He stressed that, like other industries, farmers should receive financial support, terming the situation a food security issue requiring urgent government attention.
Javed pointed out that despite provincial efforts, resources on the ground are insufficient. He warned that delays could lead to crop wastage and worsening economic conditions. He emphasised the need for future marketing mechanisms, advance planning, and immediate financial assistance, stating that farmers are currently facing losses of around Rs150,000 per acre. He urged the federal and Punjab governments to jointly compensate farmers and adjust transport costs to reduce the cost of production.
Iftikhar Hussain Chhachhar highlighted that agriculture is a major pillar of Pakistan’s economy and said the potato crop is nearing harvest. He noted that cultivation costs reach Rs350,000 per acre, while farmers are suffering losses of Rs150,000 to 200,000 per acre. He warned that after losses in rice and sugarcane, potato growers are now facing a life-and-death situation.
Panel of Chairpersons Samiullah Khan termed the issue highly important and said the House would hold a general debate on Friday, with rules relaxed to allow members to participate.
Ahsan Raza also submitted an adjournment motion, stating that the land border closure with Afghanistan has led to stockpiling of agricultural produce, badly impacting prices particularly of potato and kinnow and called for immediate government intervention.
The parliamentary secretary added that the matter was taken up with the federal government on Dec 2, and an alternative route via the Iranian border was opened on Dec 5. He said discussions are ongoing with the federal government to address the remaining transport-related issues.
The House also adopted a congratulatory resolution, moved by government member Ahsan Riaz, lauding the Pakistan Under-19 cricket team for defeating India.
Additionally, adjournment motions regarding alleged sexual harassment and drug sales in Islamia University Bahawalpur and Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, the shortage of fruits and vegetables due to the Afghan border closure, and alleged favoritism in national hockey appointments were admitted for discussion.
After completing the agenda, the chair adjourned the session till Friday (tomorrow) afternoon.
Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2025
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