Lahore:
Punjab assembly speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has instructed a legal team to prepare a draft reference for consultation before potentially submitting it to the Pakistan Election Commission (ECP) to seek the de-sustaining of 26 suspended PTI MPAs over their alleged disturbing, weak and disordered behavior.
The directive came during a meeting between the speaker and legal experts, after an initial decision that a referral could be submitted on the basis of applications submitted by PML-N legislators, and called on the speaker’s office to intervene against the suspended members.
After detailed considerations, it was decided to continue with the reference. A subsequent meeting was held where legal advisers helped the speaker, who was formally tasked with preparing the appropriate referral to be submitted to the ECP.
It is worth noting that protest has historically been a recognized feature of parliamentary procedure.
Opposition legislators are often seen engaging in fiery exchanges, desk, slogan-chanting, tearing agenda papers or budget documents and keeping posters high.
However, the situation in the current Punjab assembly has taken a more punitive reversal. Treasury benches that had long tolerated such demonstrations began to demand restraint, especially under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s addresses, and called for protesting against protesting peacefully without disturbing the procedure.
Despite the occasional cooperation from the opposition, including refraining from interrupting the house by remaining sitting instead of taking the speaker’s DAIS, PTI’s members intensified their protests during CM’s speech on June 27.
Their behavior seemed even more aggressive, reportedly in response to the Supreme Court’s decision on reserved seats.
The protest quickly escalated into a scrub between the Treasury and opposition legislators. Despite Khan’s repeated efforts to put the situation, order could not be restored.
Therefore, on the same day that relied on Rule 210 (2).
In a further tightening of disciplinary measures, on June 28, the speaker instructed that RS2,035,000 in damage was recovered from 10 PTI MPAs, approx. RS203.550 each, to climb desks and break eight microphones during their protest on June 16, when provincial budget was presented.
Previously, the speaker had ordered that PTI MPA Hassan Malik (PP-81) was excluded from attending the assembly until the end of the current session to throw a copy of the budget speech on Finance Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman.
On June 24, the speaker Khan made a decision that emphasized the importance of the decorum. “I emphasize all members, regardless of their political affiliation, to preserve Decorum, maintain the dignity of this August Assembly and ensure that parliamentary procedure continues without disturbance,” the speaker said.
