ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has questioned the silence of the top leadership of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, over the use of “abusive language” by MNA Javid Latif and decided to adopt a tough stance over the issue.

“The criminal silence of the prime minister and the PML-N leadership is shameful. What message the prime minister wants to give to the mothers and daughters of the nation?” asked the party through a statement issued after a meeting of a women delegation headed by president PTI Women Islamabad Fozia Arshad with party chairman Imran Khan here on Saturday.

The delegation members also criticised the women legislators of the PML-N over their silence on the issue.

The PTI members had boycotted the proceedings of the National Assembly on Friday and called for the suspension of the membership of the MNA from Sheikhupura for using “abusive language” against the sisters of PTI’s Murad Saeed.

According to PTI’s Information Secretary Naeemul Haq, the party in a meeting held on Friday evening had already decided to formally send a reference to Speaker Ayaz Sadiq seeking Javid Latif’s disqualification from the National Assembly for allegedly violating Article 35 of the Constitution.

Article 35 captioned “protection of family” says that “the state shall protect the marriage, the family, the mother and the child.”

Mr Haq in a statement said a person using “obscene and abusive language” could not remain a member of parliament under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution. Besides this, he said, the PTI had also decided to file a petition against the PML-N MNA in the Swat’s Shariat Court for allegedly maligning the women in public. Moreover, he said, the party would also launch countrywide protests against the MNA and to preserve the sanctity of Chaddar Aur Chaar Diwari.

PML-N’s Javid Latif and PTI’s Murad Saeed had scuffled at the entrance to the Parliament House soon after the National Assembly session on Thursday after the former in his speech on the floor harshly criticised the PTI chief and dubbed him a “traitor”.

Mr Saeed attempted to punch Mr Latif when he was coming out of the parliament house after the two had already had a brawl at the main lobby.

Mr Saeed later said that the PML-N MNA had used abusive language against his party chief thus provoking him to go physical.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2017