Summary
- The National Assembly witnessed tense scenes on Thursday after Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq suspended PTI lawmaker Iqbal Afridi for the entire budget session over alleged misconduct inside the House.
- Soon after the session began, Afridi pointed out a lack of quorum, forcing a count of members present in the House.
- He argued that the government bears responsibility for maintaining quorum in the House and said PTI lawmakers would meet to formulate their strategy for the remainder of the budget session.
The National Assembly witnessed tense scenes on Thursday after Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq suspended PTI lawmaker Iqbal Afridi for the entire budget session over alleged misconduct inside the House.
The Speaker accused Afridi of misbehaving with Assembly staff, media officials, and police personnel during the proceedings. He said such conduct could not be tolerated and was against parliamentary rules and decorum.
Following the allegations, a motion seeking Afridi’s suspension was moved in the House. The motion was approved by a majority vote, paving the way for disciplinary action against the PTI lawmaker.
The Speaker then directed the Sergeant-at-Arms to remove Afridi from the House. He warned that if the lawmaker did not leave voluntarily, security personnel would escort him out. Afridi later left the chamber.
The Speaker also announced that Afridi would not receive any allowances during the suspension period. This includes travel and daily allowances associated with participation in the budget session.
The confrontation came after repeated disruptions over quorum issues. Soon after the session began, Afridi pointed out a lack of quorum, forcing a count of members present in the House.
The count showed that the required quorum was incomplete, leading to a temporary adjournment of proceedings. After members returned, the session resumed.
Later, Afridi again raised the issue of quorum. This time, the required number of members was present, and the proceedings continued without interruption.
As the session progressed, Afridi once more attempted to point out a lack of quorum. The Speaker reacted strongly, saying parliamentary rules do not allow quorum calls at very short intervals.
He said the House could not be repeatedly disrupted through continuous quorum objections and stressed that there are established procedures governing such matters.
The issue led to heated exchanges between treasury and opposition members, adding to the already charged atmosphere of the budget session.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly continued its legislative business and passed the Pakistan Telecommunication Re-Organisation (Amendment) Bill 2025. The legislation includes amendments relating to the telecommunications sector and the functioning of appellate tribunals.
Several lawmakers also proposed amendments during the debate. Discussions focused on regulatory matters, dispute resolution mechanisms, and future telecommunications infrastructure projects.
Separately, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar criticised the upcoming federal budget while speaking to journalists. He said the budget should provide relief to citizens facing inflation and high utility costs.
He argued that the government bears responsibility for maintaining quorum in the House and said PTI lawmakers would meet to formulate their strategy for the remainder of the budget session.
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