ISLAMABAD, Dec 12: The issue of last week’s scuffle between Qari Gul Rahman of the MMA and PML-N’s minority member Krishan Bheel continued to haunt the National Assembly proceedings on Monday and efforts to reconcile their differences succeeded only after the house had been adjourned.

Krishan Bheel, who had slapped Mr Rahman, was pardoned after he apologised in the presence of a team of lawmakers. It was decided that he would also offer apologies on the floor of the house.

The scuffle took place on Wednesday and the matter flared up again when the government’s side called upon the speaker to take appropriate action and protect lawmakers from recurrence of such incidents on the floor of the house.

Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain, was aware of the patch up talks held in the lobby, did not give any ruling; he may do so when the house meets at 10am on Tuesday.

Earlier, when the house resumed its proceedings after two days of break, Minister for Parliamentary Aaffairs Dr Sher Afgan took the floor to ask the chair to suspend the membership of the minority MNA.

The speaker said that such an incident taking place on the floor of the house was tantamount to a crime, necessitating prompt action from the chair. He was, however, requested by PML-N’s acting parliamentary leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to delay taking any action till the two sides reached a reconciliation.

A number of opposition lawmakers, including Raja Parvaiz Asharf, Syed Khurshid Shah, Liaquat Baloch, Begum Ishrat Ashraf and Khawaja Asif who were accompanied by Qari Gul Rehman went to the lobby where they were joined by the speaker.

Mr Bheel was not present in the house as he had been advised by his party not to attend the proceedings till a patch-up was reached.

Qari Gul Rahman told newsmen after emerging from the opposition leader’s chamber: “Mr Krishan Bheel has sought an apology and I have pardoned him from the depth of my heart. Now it is up to the government or the speaker if they still want to take action against him.”

Earlier, speaking in the house, the MMA lawmaker vehemently denied being a ‘darbari maulavi’, and said he had never sought personal favours and he had thanked Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz for approving a gas supply project for his constituency. He said he would do it again whenever such a favour was “showered upon the people”.

Khwaja Asif of the PML-N agreed that the incident had damaged the sanctity of the house and it needed to be repaired through mutual efforts.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that the incident had taken place after the adjournment of the proceedings but still “we wish the matter is settled amicably”.

M. P. Bhindara said an issue had been made out of a non-issue and as a result smooth running of the house had been jeopardised.