Opposition takes exception to speaker’s ruling on references

Accuses speaker of partiality; stages walkout from NA

ISLAMABAD: The opposition members of the National Assembly on Monday took an exception to Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq’s ruling on the references against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, PTI chief Imran Khan, PkMAP chairman Mehmood Khan Achakzai and PTI leader Jehangir Tareen.

The opposition accused the speaker of partiality in his ruling and staged a walkout to record their protest.“Your partisan behaviour does not suit your status as the speaker,” PTI member Shafqat Mehmood said, adding the speaker had deviated from his his mandate as custodian of the House.

He said that keeping in view objectionable attitude of the speaker, the opposition parties would chalk out future plan of action as to how they should participate in proceedings.  Earlier, all the opposition parties including the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), PTI and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) staged token walkout from the House as a protest against not getting time to speak on points of order.

Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah said the speaker keeping in view traditions of the House should listen to grievances of opposition members on issue of references. The Awami Muslim League chief Shaikh Rashid Ahmed while speaking on floor of the House without mike said the speaker had blotted the image of the speaker’s status. “We will not allow you to run proceedings of the House in this way,” he said.