3 PTI lawmakers among 7 banned after NA bedlam

Ag APP

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Wednesday banned seven lawmakers — three of whom are from the treasury benches — as the budget debate session continued to be interrupted by cantankerous MPs following a day of nastiness in the hall of the Lower House.

The seven MNAs that have been barred from entering the House for “unparliamentary” and “inappropriate” behaviour include 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) “till further orders”.

In a tweet, Qaiser said members who disrupted the session during Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif’s speech had been barred from entering the House as their behaviour was “grossly disorderly”.

“They violated the rules and despite the repeated direction of the chair, interrupted House proceedings,” it said. Qaiser also sought six names each from the treasury and opposition benches to form a parliamentary committee in order to devise modalities for running the proceedings of the House during the budget session.

Giving his ruling in the House, the Speaker announced that the proceeding of the House will remain suspended until an understanding is reached between the government and opposition. He said PML-N lawmaker Rana Tanvir had asked him to constitute a parliamentary committee to further investigate the matter and decide rules for running the business of the House in an amicable and cordial environment.

Qaiser gave assurances that the recommendations of the proposed parliamentary committee would be implemented in letter and spirit. He regretted attitude of the members of both the treasury and opposition benches for using “unparliamentary and inappropriate language” on June 14 and June 15 “which undermined the sanctity of the House”. Qaiser said the rules could also be amended if the parliamentary committee wished.

Later, the budget session resumed and Shahbaz Sharif began his speech by criticising the Speaker’s “helplessness”.

But his speech was cut short after Qaiser adjourned proceedings after a lawmaker threw something. He asked who threw the object and halted proceedings and ordered security to find and throw the legislator out. He also said he would not conduct the proceedings until the government and opposition arrive at an understanding.