ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain on Friday was infuriated by what he described as the unbecoming attitude of the opposition, for deliberately breaking quorum and then pointing it out. He prorogued the house abandoning major part of the order of the day.
He got angry when the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA)’s Hafiz Hussain Ahmed led a combined opposition walkout to protest government’s inability to censure Netherlands’ government for publishing a caricature of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in its newspaper and speaker’s disallowing a call attention notice or an adjournment motion against it.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sher Afgan had a serious brawl with Hafiz Hussain Ahmed as the two accused each other of political compromise.
Speaker, however, promptly expunged the adverse remarks of Mr Ahmed and Mr Afgan they passed against each other.
Earlier, Maulana Asadullah of the MMA pointed out the government’s failure in protesting against the sacrilege of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and blocking the way of an adjournment motion already sent to the speaker.
On speaker’s query, the parliamentary minister said Hafiz Hussain Ahmed should not be allowed to move adjournment motion, adding: “The house cannot be held hostage by him (Hafiz) and they (MMA) were not champions of religion alone as all of us are Muslims.”
He asked the speaker that if they wanted to walk out, they might be allowed, but requested the chair not to allow them move the motion in violation of the rules of business.
Before reading out president order of prorogation in fury, the speaker said: “I could have extended the proceedings after Friday prayers to give more time to the lawmakers, but I am left with no option, but to prorogue the house.”
