The National Assembly (NA) Secretariat issued a letter to the former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to apologise to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser after the two clashed during Tuesday’s emergency session of the lower house.
“The Honourable Speaker has taken a very serious note of your continuous misbehaviour and disregard of Chair and accepted parliamentary norms and especially on the occasion when a very important business was about to transact before the House on 20th April 2021,” the letter sent to Abbasi and released by the NA media directorate stated.
The letter maintained that the former premier’s actions had “eroded” the authority of the NA speaker and hindered the smooth running of the assembly session. Furthermore, it asked Abbasi to explain his position within seven days of receiving the letter “as to why action in terms of rule 21 … shall not be taken against [him]”.
Rule 21 refers to the power of the NA speaker, wherein Qaiser would have the power to suspend Abbasi’s membership for the entire session.
Rule 21 states: “The Speaker may, if he deems it necessary, name a member who disregards the authority of the Speaker or abuses these rules by consistently and willfully obstructing the business of the Assembly. (2) If a member is so named by the Speaker, he shall forthwith put the question that the member (naming him) be suspended from the service of the Assembly for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session: Provided that the Assembly may, at any time, on a motion made, resolve that such suspension be terminated.”
“If reply is not received within such time, it will be presumed that you have no explanation to offer,” the letter stated.
Meanwhlie, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Sadaqat Abbasi on Wednesday demanded that Khaqan Abbasi apologise to Qaiser.
The PTI leader held a press conference, along with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill, and said that Khaqan Abbasi’s act was immoral and undemocratic which has hurt PTI.
The PML-N leader’s threat to NA speaker disgraced the house, he added.
The PTI leader said that Khaqan Abbasi told Qaiser to hit him with his shoe. The erstwhile premier runs behind people on roads to kick them and talks about swearing at others, Sadaqat Abbasi said, while adding that the presence of such people in the parliament will promote the culture of intolerance.
Similarly, PTI’s Leader of Opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh said that during his tenure as prime minister, Khaqan Abbasi had visited the United States and was strip-searched.
Addressing a press conference in Sindh Assembly on Wednesday, he strongly condemned the behaviour of Khaqan Abbasi in the NA. He said that the PML-N has forgotten the principles of morality and ethics. He maintained that these are corrupt politicians.
Adil added that Khaqan Abbasi was defeated by Sadaqat Abbasi and later he became a member of parliament from Lahore.
He said that the nation should recognise these corrupt and useless leaders who are hatching conspiracies to topple Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government.
Adil regretted thinking that Maulana Fazlur Rehman was not positive with Covid-19. He further said that Fazl had poured diesel over the fire.
The PTI leader said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari cleaned the mess after the statement of Salman Taseer, and that this mess could have been avoided.
He pointed out that the PTI fulfilled its promise and tabled a resolution in assembly. He lambasted Bilawal for not attending the session even to read a written speech. He maintained that Bilawal did not have the same courage as Prime Minister Imran.
Adil said that the objective of PTI and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) is the same but they have different methodology.
He stressed that no Muslim could tolerate blasphemy.
