Lahore:
The president of the Punjab assembly, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, wants the opposition to give written insurance of strict compliance with various conditions, in particular by firmly following the rules of procedure.
Addressing journalists, the speaker, who is apparently under pressure to send disqualification references against the suspension of Pakistan Tehreek-E-insaf (PTI) 26, cited constitutional motives for moving.
He said he had left the house earlier and favored the opposition, but that wouldn’t happen now. He accused the opposition of badly using his leniency.
“The opposition must strictly implement the rule 223 of the rules of procedure and there will be no compromise in the future on an abusive, humiliating and violent conduct,” he said.
The speaker said little noise had been raised during the speeches of the leaders of the Chamber in the past, but no one had used the derogatory, inhuman, immoral and disrespectful language pronounced by the PTI legislators during the recent speech of chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
“If there is a right of protest, there is also the right to speak in which everyone should be respectfully heard,” he said.
“Enough, that’s enough, no hooliganism will be tolerated now, which is in May,” warned President Khan.
He said that the opposition had been back on his commitments before and that it was why he needed the commitment to comply with black and white conditions.
The speaker said he wanted to manage the house gently, where each member, including women, could express his point of view without disturbance. “There are democratic standards that should be followed by the opposition by giving respect to others if they want respect for themselves,” he added.
He declared that article 63, paragraph 2, of the Constitution stipulates that it is the speaker who decides if a question arises concerning the disqualification of a member. If the speaker does not make a decision within 30 days, the case is automatically referred to the Pakistan Electoral Commission (ECP).
He declared that he had received three requests from Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Ahmad Iqbal and Iftikhar Chachar, which were not references but constitutional requests which must be decided strictly in accordance with the Constitution.
Malik Muhammad Ahmad recalled that in 2017, 22 MNA of PTI had approached President Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, demanding an action under article 63, paragraph 2, on the basis of a declaration by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. When the case was not resolved within 30 days, the Supreme Court took note of Suo Motu, which was constitutionally controversial, he added.
He said he had encouraged the government and the opposition to resolve things through dialogue. Discussions have taken place on five key points, the two parties agree that coarse language, sloganering and human rights violations would be unacceptable to the House and that the Constitution must be fully respected, he added.
The speaker said that there had never been chaos in the House during the speech of a chief minister. Although the opposition has the constitutional right to protest, it is just as important to respect the parliamentary standards and the sacred nature of the Chamber.
He reiterated that he does not believe in the assassination or humiliation of the character of a member, and he will not prevent anyone from talking. However, the behavior of the crowd, aggressive driving and acts such as launching books are unacceptable.
He said that the president of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly had sent him a letter concerning the suspension of opposition members, to which a detailed response as well as constitutional interpretations would be sent.
The president of the Punjab assembly said that his goal was not to undermine anyone, but to protect the sacred nature of the Chamber while remaining within the constitutional framework.
He declared that a decision would be made soon, and everything that would be decided would be documented and agreed both by the government and the opposition to ensure a more conducive atmosphere in the House to move forward.
