In a significant move to restore order in the Punjab Assembly, Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has suspended 26 opposition members for disrupting the house during Friday’s budget session. The suspended lawmakers were accused of chanting slogans, tearing agenda papers, throwing them at treasury benches, using abusive language, and physically confronting government members.
Speaking at a press conference, the Speaker said the opposition’s actions went “beyond all parliamentary norms and ethics,” adding that he had exercised powers under Rule 210(3) of the Rules of Procedure, 1997, to suspend the members for 15 assembly sittings.
“The sanctity and discipline of the House will be maintained at all costs. No one will be allowed to hold the assembly hostage,” Khan said.
He emphasized that while protest is a democratic right, it must be within the limits defined by the Constitution and assembly rules.
The speaker claimed he made several efforts to bring order to the house, but the opposition deliberately defied the rules and the authority of the chair.
List of suspended members includes:
Malik Farhad Masood, Muhammad Tanveer Aslam, Syed Riffat Mehmood, Yasir Mehmood Qureshi, Kaleem Ullah Khan, Muhammad Ansar Iqbal, Ali Asif, Zulfiqar Ali, Ahmad Mujtaba Chaudhary, Shahid Javed, Muhammad Ismael, Khayal Ahmad, Shahbaz Ahmad, Tayyab Rashid, Imtiaz Mehmood, Ali Imtiaz, Rashid Tufail, Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal, Khalid Zubair Nisar, Ch Muhammad Ejaz Shafi, Saima Kanwal, Muhammad Naeem, Sajjad Ahmed, Rana Aourang Zaib, Shuaib Ameer, and Usama Asghar Ali Gujjar.
In addition to the suspensions, 10 opposition lawmakers have been fined Rs203,550 each for vandalism, including damaging microphones — based on video footage. These members include: Chaudhary Javed Kausar, Asad Abbas, Riffat Mehmood, Muhammad Ismael, Shahbaz Ahmad, Imtiaz Mehmood, Khalid Zubair, Rana Aourang Zaib, and Muhammad Ahsan Ali.
The Speaker warned that failure to pay the fine within seven days would lead to further action.
He also announced that a reference is being sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the 26 suspended members.
Meanwhile, Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhacher denounced the decision as biased.
“The Speaker told me not to protest during the CM’s speech. Who else should we protest in front of, if not the Chief Minister?” Bhacher asked during a press conference.
“We will continue to protest — inside the house and outside.”
