Speaker Asad Qaiser banned seven members in Pakistan’s National Assembly (Parliament) on Tuesday, a day after MPs of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and opposition parties threw copies of the budget at each other.
The members who were to banned include three from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and four from the opposition.
The speaker said the manner in which the MPs behaved during the speech of Leader of Opposition Shahbaz Sharif during the budget discussion on Tuesday was unparliamentary and unfair. Despite being warned by the bench, they continued to defy the rules.
Uproar in Pakistan Parliament
He said taking cognizance of his conduct, a total of seven members, including three from the ruling party PPTI. Three from the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), and one from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), were suspended till further orders.
These MPs have been barre from entering the house. Notably, the session of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, was to called to debate budget for 2021-22.
Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin presented the budget on Friday.
Parliament turned into a battlefield
On Tuesday, when the Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif tried to deliver a traditional speech for the debate on the budget, MPs of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) started creating a ruckus.
In no time the house turned into a battlefield. Some MPs from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the opposition parties came face to face. These people abused each other and finally started throwing copies of the budget at each other.
The matter escalated so much that the Speaker had to adjourn the House thrice but peace could not be establish.
On Wednesday, the speaker met Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and spoke to opposition leaders Shahbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto over the phone to take action on the MPs.