Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan announced that a formal reference is being submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against 26 suspended opposition lawmakers for violating Assembly rules and disrupting proceedings.
The suspended members, all from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), were barred from attending 15 sittings after they protested during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s speech on Friday.
Their protests consisted of loud sloganeering, official papers being torn apart, and taking part in what the Speaker termed as “unparliamentary and disruptive behaviour.”
During a press conference in Lahore, Speaker Malik Ahmad supported the disciplinary action, saying, “The Assembly works under the Constitution and no member can insult or attack others. Any harm to the dignity of this House will not be tolerated.”
He decried the protest, comparing it to a decorum breach. “Is anyone allowed to behave in such a manner in his/her own home? The Assembly is not a living room. It‘s a constitutional body whose dignity should be respected,” he stated.
Comparing this with the five-year term of the previous Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Malik Ahmad said there were FIRs against 40 members during that time and that none of the standing committees worked in those five years.
“I, however, gave production orders. They refer to such conduct as political activism—I refer to it as a constitutional violation.”
The Speaker lambasted the PTI legislative output, saying that the opposition had “zero input“ in legislation and accused them of trying to subvert the judiciary.
He also announced that the reference would be made on the basis of a precedent pertaining to former Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and that notices for financial recovery would be issued to those who had damaged Assembly property.
Malik Ahmad confirmed that although CM Maryam Nawaz recognized the right of opposition to hold protests, it shouldn’t be at the expense of rules. He hailed the speech of the Chief Minister as “composed and excellent.”
Those suspended include Malik Fahad Masood, Muhammad Tanveer Aslam, Syed Rafat Mahmood, Yasir Mahmood Qureshi, and Saima Kanwal. These legislators will be excluded from attending Assembly proceedings and being part of committees during the suspension period.
