Lahore
\nPunjab Assembly (PA) Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan on Saturday announced the formation of an ethics committee to address the \u201cdeterioration of decorum\u201d witnessed in the house in recent days.
\n\u201cThe [assembly] has been deteriorating day by day, the cause of which is the people inside it,\u201d he said. \u201cIn these times, when [lawmakers] completely fall from ethical standards, when foul language is used, how will conduct be maintained in the house?\u201d
\nThe PA speaker\u2019s remarks come a day after 11 opposition members were barred from attending the next 15 sittings of the house for resorting to \u201crowdyism\u201d during the speech of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
\nThe suspended MPAs, belonging to the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council, are Zulfikar Ali, Shehbaz Ahmed, Muhammad Atif, Tayyab Rashid, Imtiaz Mahmood, Hafiz Farhat Abbas, Ejaz Shafi, Rana Aurangzeb, Shoaib Amir, Osama Asghar Ali Gujjar and Asad Abbas.
\nThey had used non-parliamentary and abusive language against the chief minister when she was recounting the achievements of her first 100-day rule in the province at the conclusion of the budget approval process.
\nSpeaking to the media today, the PA speaker recounted how he had witnessed a deterioration in the conduct within the assembly of late. He stated that what was at first disruption in the form of sloganeering had now turned into \u201cunfiltered abuses and obscenities\u201d.
\nMalik wondered how proceedings in the house could continue in such an environment and cited four instances over the past few weeks when lawmakers abused each other.
\nRegarding the decision to bar some members from the house, the speaker said he used the assembly\u2019s rules to maintain conduct in \u201cevery capacity\u201d.
\nAnnouncing the formation of the ethics committee, Malik said it would overview the conduct of lawmakers from the day the assembly convened and ascertain how it was a \u201cdemocratic obstruction\u201d.
\n\u201cThe very book that gave you privileges has providence for the breach of those privileges. Take the trouble to read the book. You will understand that you are not standing at a chowk,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cI\u2019m not saying that this house cannot be political, but you cannot take things to the point where you make politics about abusing and obscenities,\u201d the speaker added.<\/p>\n
Oppositions MPAs stage protest
\nA little after noon, opposition MPAs staged a protest at the entrance of the assembly against the speaker\u2019s orders to bar them from the upcoming proceedings.
\nVideos from the site showed a large contingent of police vans parked outside the PA premises with only PML-N members allowed inside. However, opposition lawmakers forced their way inside while chanting anti-government slogans. Some also called for the release of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan.
\nTalking to reporters, opposition leader Ahmad Khan Bhachar said he \u201cwill not bow\u201d before the Punjab government, adding that the suspension of the 11 lawmakers was \u201cunjust\u201d.
\n\u201cUntil and unless our MPAs are allowed inside, we will stay here and hold our own assembly session,\u201d Bhachar said. \u201cIf we can fight in there, we can fight out here too.\u201d
\nHe further alleged that the PA speaker\u2019s decision was based on \u201cprejudice\u201d, adding that the opposition\u2019s protests did not warrant suspensions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lahore Punjab Assembly (PA) Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan on Saturday announced the formation of an ethics committee to address the \u201cdeterioration of decorum\u201d witnessed in the house in recent days. \u201cThe [assembly] has been deteriorating day by day, the cause of which is the people inside it,\u201d he said. \u201cIn these times, when [lawmakers] […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-415376","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n