ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly through a motion on Thursday suspended the PTI-supported MNA Muhammad Iqbal Khan Afridi for the remaining budget session for frequently violating the sanctity of the House and what the Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq called an ‘inappropriate and unparliamentary conduct’.
PMLN legislator Farah Naz Akbar moved a motion which was adapted by the House with majority voice to suspend the membership of Iqbal Afridi for the remainder ongoing session. “Leave the House yourself with respect. If you do not leave yourself, security personnel will forcibly take you out,” Sardar Ayaz Sadiq told Afridi who was still present in the House even after the motion had been adopted.
However, following the speaker’s warning, Iqbal Afridi immediately left the House without trying to create any trouble. Iqbal Afridi has been barred from entering the Parliament House and its premises for the duration of the budget session. The speaker said the suspended MNA would not receive any allowances, including TA/DA, for the session. Iqbal Afridi had been creating problems for the government throughout proceedings for months by pointing out lack of quorum. He also pointed the lack of quorum in the House on Thursday which caused suspension of proceedings for over 30 minutes.
Ayaz Sadiq said the MNA had also behaved improperly with the Director General Media and security officials. “No leniency can be shown to such a member,” he remarked, before directing the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove Iqbal Khan from the hall.
The speaker said that Iqbal Khan had misbehaved with security personnel outside parliament and was involved in a scuffle with police at a checkpoint near Serena Hotel. “Through his threatening conduct, Muhammad Iqbal Khan has undermined all parliamentary traditions,” he said, adding that the member had “misused his office”.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry informed the House that Iqbal Afridi’s son had applied for political asylum in Italy on a blue passport. The speaker referred the matter to the Standing Committee on Interior.
Speaking in the House PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said the PTI was the “largest party among all parties” and demanded a ruling from the speaker on arranging a meeting with its “founder chairman,” as opposition members staged a walkout from the National Assembly.
Gohar said the party had earlier demanded a committee of the House under Syed Khursheed Shah. “For the last 34 weeks, we have not been allowed to meet the founder,” he said. “We still miss Omar Ayub, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Zartaj Gul and others today,” he added. “We want a ruling from the Speaker on this matter,” Gohar said.
He asked the Speaker to decide by tomorrow whether a meeting would be arranged or not. Barrister Gohar also, while alleging large scale rigging in Gilgit-Baltistan elections, said that the opposition unanimously demand polling through Electronic Voting Machine to minimise chances of engineering. Following his speech, opposition members walked out of the House in protest.
Responding to the point, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said, “If they were members of the National Assembly, I would have issued their production order.” He said a series of meetings had been started and three meetings were arranged. “You yourselves broke that chain,” the speaker said adding that the government too does not want to talk now. Meanwhile, Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif called for resolving contentious issues through democratic means and public mandate, saying voters should decide such matters.
Speaking in the National Assembly in connection with the Kashmir issue and voting rights of Kashmiri refugees, he said both Pakistanis and Kashmiris have made great sacrifices for the cause. The minister further said the issue is not only of Kashmiris, but a national cause involving all 250 million Pakistanis. While referring to the hardships faced by Kashmiri refugee families, he said many Kashmiris still live in areas known as refugee camps adding the identity and historical ties of Kashmiris from the Valley and Jammu must be respected. “Should we deprive Kashmiri refugees who had rendered numerous sacrifices while crossing the LoC and working boundary, of their voting rights”, he said. He said those living in Azad Jammu and Kashmir have no stakes and they have given no sacrifices to liberate Kashmir like the Kashmiri refugees did as 200,000 of them were martyred during migration.
Despite violence, he said that he was still in favour of resolving issues through talks. “But the state shall not sit silent if you resort to violence and bloodshed,” he said.
He said the opposition could raise their voice for release of their leader but they should keep up sanctity of the House and stop disrupting its proceedings otherwise there would be collective loss for all.
