Suspension of eleven opposition members sparks uproar in Punjab parliament

LAHORE:

Opposition members of the Punjab Parliament staged a protest rally outside the gates of the Parliament on Saturday, chanting loud slogans in response to the suspension of 11 of their members.

The suspended members were denied access to the assembly premises during the meeting by security forces.

Yesterday, during the budget session of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz’s government, Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan suspended the membership of 11 members of the Punjab Assembly belonging to the Sunni Ittehad Council, leading to uproar, unrest, use of abusive language and disruption within the assembly.

In an interview with the media, opposition leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar criticized the suspension of the eleven members as unconstitutional and accused the party’s spokesman, Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, of bias against the ruling party, which led to the suspension of not only eleven but 107 members.

Meanwhile, members of the Sunni Ittehad Council announced that they would convene their own meeting at the main gate of the Punjab Assembly, attended by 108 opposition members.

Waqa’s husband chaired this alternative session and took on the role of speaker.

On May 9, opposition leader Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar tabled a resolution to set up a judicial commission in response to the incidents, calling it one of the most controversial incidents in the country’s history and demanding that those responsible be brought to justice.

The speaker announced his approval after a vote.

During the session, the majority voted against the decision of the Speaker of Parliament, Malik Ahmed Khan, to suspend the eleven members. Opposition member Muhammad Na’im then called for a motion of no confidence against the Speaker of Parliament.