ISLAMABAD: “Go Nawaz go” slogan seems to be haunting the Pakistan Muslim League-N everywhere. It caused a scuffle between parliamentarians of the PML-N and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf in a meeting of a National Assembly committee on Tuesday.

The standing committee on communications was in session when PTI members Saleemur Rehman and Hamidul Haq Khalil entered the hall. PML-N MNA Sarzameen raised objection to PTI parliamentarians’ presence on the ground that they had resigned as members of the National Assembly.

Mr Rehman said they had the right to attend the meeting because their resignations had not yet been accepted. Then he started raising the slogan.

This infuriated the PML-N member and an exchange of hot words ensued and both sides came to blows.

Other members of the committee intervened and separated the quarrelling parliamentarians. Mr Sarzameen left the meeting.

Talking to Dawn, the chairman of the committee, Sufian Yousaf, termed the incident “childish” and said he had not seen such an ugly situation in his parliamentary career.

He accused the PML-N member of behaving “like a Jiyala and not a parliamentarian”. He said parliamentarians should avoid behaving in this manner.

Mr Yousaf said the meeting was about the Lyari Expressway project. The government was not releasing funds for it, otherwise the project would have been completed this year and the issue of encroachments would have been solved, he said.

Mr Rehman said the slogan of “Go Nawaz go” would follow the ruling party everywhere.

Published in Dawn, October 1st , 2014