Govt, opposition MLAs clash in AJK assembly

MUZAFFARABAD/KARACHI: The Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir turned into a battleground on Monday after the members of the government and the opposition clashed with one another.

The commotion, during the assembly’s session, started after Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Latif Akbar accused AJK Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan of assuming the top post by bribing PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

The government members protested against the allegations, triggering a heated argument between them and the opposition members. Soon thereafter, the argument took a violent turn as a PTI member of the assembly, identified as Faheem Rabbani, threw his mobile phone at former AJK premier Raja Farooq Haider Khan.

Following the incident, the PMLN workers reached the assembly building in large numbers and protested against Rabbani for attacking Haider. Upon hearing about the incident, the demonstrators also gathered at the Kohala-Muzaffarabad road and the Islamabad-Murree-Muzaffarabad Expressway, blocking both the roads for traffic.

Later on, Rabbani, in a video message, tendered an apology to Haider. AJK PM Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan also apologised to former prime minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan over the unpleasant incident.

In his audio message, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan said that he had tendered an apology to Raja Farooq Haider Khan on the phone, which he accepted. “Raja Farooq Haider Khan is a senior politician. I have always respected him from the core of my heart”, the PM said.

He said that it was quite unfortunate that an unpleasant incident took place in the Assembly that acerbated the congenial atmosphere of the house. The incident, he said, occurred on the spur of the moment and was not premeditated. “My entire team apologises to Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan,” he added.

The AJK PM also urged the workers of PMLN and other political parties to show political magnanimity and play their role in normalising the situation in the capital city. Meanwhile, former prime minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan reached Chhatar Chowk and appealed to his followers and PMLN workers to end their protest and open all the roads. After the appeal of AJK’s ex-premier, all the highways and link roads were opened for traffic.