Speaker sets precedent by walking out of NA

ISLAMABAD: The Speaker National Assembly (NA) Ayaz Sadiq on Tuesday set precedence in the history of Parliament by staging walk out from the proceedings over the absence of Interior Ministry officials.

The Speaker, while announcing to walk out of proceedings of the House, said he would not chair any session and continue staging walk out of the National Assembly proceedings daily till the prime minister in writing gives assurance that officials of concerned ministries remain present in the hall. “I cannot tolerate disrespect of Parliament at any cost and therefore I am staging walk out from the proceedings,” said Speaker Ayaz Sadiq over the absence of Interior Ministry officials in officials’ gallery.

Normally, the concerned ministry officials sit in the visitor’s gallery during the parliamentary business related to their ministry.

The Speaker decided to take extreme step due to absence of officials during a calling attention notice related to the Ministry of Interior. At that time, neither the interior minister nor the parliamentary secretary was present in the National Assembly hall.

Ayaz Sadiq in the past had been passing strict orders against federal secretaries of different ministries and other senior officials for not turning officials’ galleries during parliamentary business related to them.

Following Speaker’s walk out, the deputy speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi chaired proceedings of the House. Later, the Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal also turned up to respond to the calling attention notice.