Fawad Chaudhry barred from Senate session after failing to apologise

By
Nausheen Yusuf
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ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry was barred on Thursday from attending the Senate session after he failed to apologise as directed by the Senate chairman for inciting uproar during yesterday’s session.

Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani earlier today demanded an apology from Chaudhry and warned the info minister that he would be barred from the Senate if he failed to apologise, as the opposition staged a walkout protesting his remarks during Wednesday’s session.

The warning came after the info minister once again engaged in a war of words with the opposition on Wednesday. Speaking in the upper house, Chaudhry had accused Pushtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mehmood Achakzai of robbing the country and making anti-state statements.

The accusation had resulted in a strong response from PkMAP senator Usman Kakar, who accused Chaudhry of “licking the boots” of former military ruler Pervez Musharraf.

The Senate chairman had intervened and more than once asked Chaudhry to not use “unparliamentary” language, saying that running the House was the government’s responsibility and it needed to exercise greater tolerance towards the opposition.

Chaudhry, however, had continued with his accusations and asked why opposition members were reminded of decorum of the House only when corruption cases were discussed.

He had also demanded that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Mushahidullah Khan apologise for impolite comments against him and his family made on Monday in the House.

Sanjrani eventually had to turn off Chaudhry’s mic amid uproar by the opposition.

As the session got under way today, the chairman had warned Chaudhry that he would be barred from the Senate if he did not apologise for the ruckus. The info minister, however, failed to apologise, and was subsequently barred from attending today’s session.