The government’s insistence on obtaining a written commitment from the opposition to comply with five key conditions, including rule 223 of the assembly rules threatens to derail the negotiations in progress on the suspension of 26 MPa.
Sources told The Express PK Press Club that the treasury benches put pressure for documented insurance. However, this request was not widely discussed among the legislators of Pakistan Tehreek-E-insaf (PTI), many of which are concerned about the recently launched Movement of the Party. A final decision is expected at a next parliamentary party meeting, but most legislators would have opposed the submission of any insurance in writing to the negotiation committee.
The five conditions established by the Committee include: abstaining from coarse language, Sloganeaging, human rights violations, strict respect for rule 223 of the Punjab assembly rules (1997) and the provision of a documented commitment to the opposition.
Read: The Punjab Speaker offers a chance that is suspended from the chance to present their case
According to sources, the opposition plans to persuade the committee to delete the request for a written commitment. They consider the condition as an attempt to make respect for silence during the speech of chief Minister Maryam Nawaz something that the opposition has sworn to resist. Several MPa argued that the reiteration of what is already codified in the rules is not necessary.
The President of the Punjab Assembly, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, said on several occasions the requirement of written insurance, citing the past failures of the opposition to honor the verbal agreements.
The opposition should argue that this approach restricted their right to protest in the assembly a forum which they consider essential to express dissent, in particular in the face of the alleged ill -treatment of PTI leaders and workers outside the chamber.
Although the Government focuses in particular on the guarantee of insurance against disturbances during speeches, the opposition can refuse or provides only a verbal commitment, giving way to potential violations depending on future circumstances.
However, a faction within PTI suggests that the submission of written insurance, even temporarily, could help defuse tensions and prevent President Khan from launching disqualification references with the Pakistan Electoral Commission (ECP).
Sources have also noted that the responsibility of the chaos of the Assembly of June 27 cannot be based solely on the PTI, because the PML-N legislators were also involved in the fight which broke out during the address of the chief minister. PTI legislators have also been refused access to the video surveillance images of the incident, they said.
The lecturer Khan would be abroad for three weeks, but can chair the next online session via Zoom. In informal conversations with journalists, he previously admitted that he had authorized the house to stand “hostage” by ClĂ©mence towards the opposition, a position he regrets now.
“There is a right to protest, but also a right to speak and everyone must be heard with respect,” he said. “Enough, that’s enough. No hooliganism will be tolerated, to come what can.”
He said he would not tolerate the assassination of character or prevent a member from speaking. However, he drew a firm line against the behavior of the crowd, the assault and the acts such as the book throws completely unacceptable.