Seven members barred from Pakistan’s National Assembly after unruly scenes in House

Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Wednesday barred seven MNAs, including three from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), from entering the House after budget books and expletives were thrown during leader of the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif’s speech

Jun 17, 2021
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Pakistan’s National Assembly

Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Wednesday barred seven MNAs, including three from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), from entering the House after budget books and expletives were thrown during leader of the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif’s speech.

Three members from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and one from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have also been barred.

In a tweet, the NA speaker said members who disrupted the session during Shehbaz Sharif's speech have been barred from entering the House as their behaviour was "unparliamentary" and "inappropriate".

He shared a picture of the order which said that the conduct of the MNAs during Shehbaz's budget speech on June 14 and June 15 was "grossly disorderly", according to a Dawn report.

"They violated the rules and, despite the repeated direction of the chair, interrupted House proceedings," it said.

Ali Gohar Khan (PML-N), Chaudhary Hamid Hameed (PML-N), Sheikh Rohale Asghar (PML-N), Faheem Khan (PTI), Abdul Majeed Khan (PTI), Ali Nawaz Awan (PTI) and Syed Agha Rafiullah (PPP) have been told to not enter the precinct of the Parliament House till further orders.

Awan is also Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Capital Development Authority Affairs.

In a separate statement, the NA Secretariat said the ban on the MNAs would last until further orders. "The NA Secretariat has issued instructions to the concerned MNAs and to the assembly security," it said.

The decision comes after the National Assembly turned into a battleground on Tuesday as the treasury bench members scuffled with the opposition and continued a noisy protest to disrupt Shehbaz's budget speech for a second consecutive day.

The treasury bench members kept on sloganeering, whistling and desk-thumping.

Parliamentary Secretary for Law Maleeka Bokhari was hit by a flying object and injured in the eye.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz and PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari met at the Parliament House to discuss the strategy for the budget session.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Shehbaz said everyone could see the way the government ministers had behaved. He thanked Bilawal for showing solidarity and for visiting. He said that the opposition will decide a future strategy together.

Meanwhile, Bilawal said that he had come to show solidarity with the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly. "The prime minister is issuing instructions to his ministers like one does with children, We are serious politicians," he said.

(SAM)

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