26 lawmakers of Imran Khan’s party suspended for disrupting Maryam's speech

Lahore, Jun 28 (PTI) As many as 26 lawmakers of Imran Khan’s party were on Saturday suspended from Pakistan’s Punjab Assembly for disrupting proceedings during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s speech.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan ordered the suspension of 26 opposition members of the Punjab Assembly (MPAs) belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for 15 sittings for their "rowdy behaviour and using abusive language".

The suspended lawmakers had raised slogans against Maryam and her father, three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif.

They called Maryam a "selected" chief minister by the military establishment and also alleged that Nawaz Sharif is living a retired life.

The PTI lawmakers are also accused of interrupting Maryam's speech in the provincial assembly and protesting in front of the Speaker's desk and blocking the way of some treasury members.

"The suspended lawmakers became disorderly, beyond all parliamentary reasoning and practices, including tearing the agenda papers and hurling torn pieces towards the treasury benches, as well as using offensive, abusive, and unparliamentary language and slogans during Friday's session," the speaker said.

Ten members of the opposition have also been fined PKR 200,000 each for allegedly damaging public property during the session.

Maryam, responding to a jibe by the suspended lawmakers, said that “the man (Imran Khan) who used to say that Nawaz Sharif had been removed from the political arena himself stands excluded from the national political scene”.

Former prime minister Imran Khan has been in jail for nearly two years in multiple cases. PTI MZ GSP GSP