National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser adjourned on Wednesday the assembly minutes after it started as treasury members continued their protest for the third consecutive day to disrupt Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif’s budget speech. Surrounded by sergeants, Shehbaz tried to deliver his speech amid sloganeering from the treasury benches but was cut short. Meanwhile, Qaiser repeatedly called on the parliamentarians to be seated, but eventually adjourned the session after an object was thrown at the speaker’s dais. He ordered for whoever had thrown the object to be escorted from the House and said he would take action against the individual responsible. “I will not conduct this House (NA) until both the government and the opposition [settle their matters],” said Qaiser before walking out, adjourning the session till tomorrow. Speaking about the incident, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar claimed in a tweet that the opposition had “attacked” within minutes of the session’s start. He added that PTI lawmaker Muhammad Akram Cheema was also injured by a bottle thrown at him. “Worried by the economic improvement and popular budget, the opposition wants to run away from discussion on the budget in the House by engaging in confrontation.”
Shehbaz, during his speech, condemned yesterday’s incident and said it was Qaiser’s duty to maintain the sanctity of the House and run it in accordance with the law. “I want to inform that it was the decision of our party and the opposition that if the opposition’s speeches were peacefully listened to then we would reciprocate and listen to the leader of the House’s speech,” he said, adding that Qaiser had failed to keep the treasury members in check over the last two days. “I am saddened by your helplessness,” he said, alleging that the behaviour of treasury members had been sanctioned by Prime Minister Imran Khan himself.
Ahmad Iqram
Lahore
