Punjab Assembly speaker suspends 26 opposition lawmakers over ruckus, rioting on floor

• No one will be allowed to take assembly hostage: speaker.
• He says protests should be in line with the Constitution.
• Opposition's conduct was "beyond all parliamentary reasoning".

In a notable move against the disorderly conduct of the lawmakers, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Saturday announced the suspension of 26 members from the opposition benches over ruckus, sloganeering, shouting and tearing of documents in the house.

"The sanctity and order of the House will be maintained at all costs. The right to protest is recognised, but its limits are subject to the constitution, law and rules," Khan said while speaking during a press conference while referring to the opposition's conduct in the Punjab Assembly during Friday's budget session for the Fiscal Year 2025-26.

In an order dated June 27, the speaker, while exercising powers conferred under Rule 210(3) of the Rules of Procedure 1997, suspended the opposition members for a total of 15 assembly sessions.

The order highlights that the right to protest and freedom of expression entailed reasonable limitations and wasn't an absolute right.

"When sitting commenced, the conduct of the opposition members became disorderly, beyond all parliamentary reasoning and practices which is absolutely not permissible under the rules.

"They started tearing the agenda papers and hurled torn pieces towards the treasury benches; used offensive, abuse and un-parliamentary language and slogans; they also manhandled the treasury members," reads the speaker's order.

Recalling that he repeatedly tried to call the house to order but the opposition declined to act in accordance with the rules and persisted with misconduct and disorder, Khan said that he concluded that the opposition disregarded his his authority as speaker by abusing the rules consistently and willful obstruction the business of the assembly.

List of suspended opposition members:

• Malik Farhad Masood
• Muhammad Tanveer Aslam
• Syed Riffat Mehmood
• Yasir Mehmood Qureshi
• Kaleem Ullah Khan
• Muhammad Ansar Iqbal
• Ali Asif
• Zulfiqar Ali
• Ahmad Mujtaba Chaudhary
• Shahid Javed
• Muhammad Ismael
• Khayal Ahmad
• Shahbaz Ahmad
• Tayyab Rashid
• Imtiaz Mehmood
• Ali Imtiaz
• Rashid Tufail
• Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal
• Khalid Zubair Nisar
• Ch Muhammad Ejaz Shafi
• Saima Kanwal
• Muhammad Naeem
• Sajjad Ahmed
• Rana Aourang Zaib
• Shuaib Ameer
• Usama Asghar Ali Gujjar
  

Speaking during the presser, Speaker Khan stressed that it was his responsibility to ensure and maintain the sanctity of the house.

Terming the opposition's behaviour "regrettable", he said that he believed in upholding democratic and parliamentary traditions.

"No one will be allowed to take the assembly hostage," the speaker remarked.

The custodian of the house further pointed out that if a member failed to accept the rules, it was his responsibility to prevent him from entering the house.

Moving on Khan said that he was sending a reference against 26 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Furthermore, 10 opposition lawmakers have been fined more than Rs2 million for acts of vandalism such as breaking microphones as per the relevant video evidence.

Those fined include Chaudhary Javed Kausar, Asad Abbas, Tanveer Aslam, Riffat Mehmood, Muhammad Ismael, Shahbaz Ahmad, Imtiaz Mehmood, Khalid Zubair, Rana Aourang Zaib and Muhammad Ahsan Ali — all of whom will have to pay Rs203,550 each.

Action will be taken against members who do not pay the fine within seven days.

Meanwhile, Punjab Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhacher has said that the speaker's decision was biased.

"No one can stop us from protesting," he said while speaking during a press conference, adding that it seemed from the speaker's body language that he was under pressure.

"The speaker told me not to protest during the chief minister's speech. Who will we protest before if not the CM?" Bacher questioned.

"We will protest both inside and outside the house," the opposition leader added.