The National Assembly on Thursday suspended PTI's MNA Iqbal Khan Afridi for the entire budget session, starting from today, due to his 'inappropriate and un-parliamentary' conduct. The house adopted a motion for the suspension of Member National Assembly Muhammad Iqbal Khan under Rule 21 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.
Speaker's Remarks on Misconduct
Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq stated that Muhammad Iqbal Khan had repeatedly undermined the dignity and sanctity of the House through inappropriate and non-parliamentary conduct. He informed the House that multiple complaints had been received regarding the Member’s use of abusive language towards officials and employees of the National Assembly Secretariat. The Speaker further noted that Muhammad Iqbal Khan had displayed inappropriate behavior towards the Director General Media of the National Assembly and security personnel. Sadiq emphasized that such conduct was unacceptable and could not be overlooked. He stated that the Member had, on several occasions, acted in a manner inconsistent with parliamentary norms and traditions. He also observed that Muhammad Iqbal Khan had misbehaved with security personnel outside Parliament House and had previously been involved in an altercation with police officials at a security checkpoint near Serena Hotel.
Defence Minister's Call for Unity
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif urged all political parties to respect the sanctity of Parliament and ensure the smooth functioning of democratic institutions, saying political disputes should not weaken the legislature. On a matter regarding AJK issue, he urged the now proscribed Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) to let the people of the region decide whether the 12 refugee seats should be abolished. The Minister also called on the JAAC to raise the issue in the upcoming polls, scheduled for July 27.
Criticism of PTI
Criticising Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he said the party had disrupted parliamentary proceedings over the past two years by linking its participation in the House to the imprisonment of its leader. Turning to the Kashmir issue and voting rights of Kashmiri refugees, the minister said both Pakistanis and Kashmiris had made great sacrifices for the cause. He said the issue was not only of Kashmiris but a national cause involving the entire nation.
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