QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly reverberated with a verbal duel on Saturday over the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision in the Toshakhana case, with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle exchanging hot words.

Speaking on a point of order, MPA Mobeen Ahmed Khilji described the ECP’s verdict against former premier Imran Khan as controversial and alleged that the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties had come into power “from the backdoor”.

Mr Khilji, of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), said party chief Imran Khan was the most popular leader of the country and citizens would not accept his disqualification from parliament by the election watchdog.

The assertion sparked a furious response from PDM lawmakers, who stood up and supported the ECP’s verdict announced on Friday, which they said was according to the law and Constitution as Mr Khan “committed a crime”. They also spoke against the PTI leader, which led to the exchange of harsh words.

This prompted Acting Speaker Sardar Babar Khan Musakhail, who also belongs to the PTI and was presiding over the session, to ask the members to avoid using “unparliamentary language” and expunge the objectionable remarks.

The ECP on Friday disqualified Mr Khan for making a “false statement and incorrect declarations” in the Toshakhana case, prompting countrywide protests by PTI workers.

Speaking in the assembly on Saturday, Balochistan’s Food Minister Zmarak Khan Achakzai of the Awami National Party (ANP) said PTI leaders and supporters were jubilant and even distributed sweets when leaders of other political parties were being disqualified, but now that the tables had turned, they were expressing anger.

Earlier, BNP-M’s Malik Naseer Ahmed Shahwani walked out of the house as a protest for not releasing some arrested physiotherapists and the registration of an FIR against them.

Last week, members of the Balochistan Physiotherapy Association staged a sit-in outside the assembly building, insisting that 1,500 physiotherapists had obtained degrees from various institutes, but they had been deprived of jobs in public hospitals.

The police baton-charged and arrested many protestors. Mr Shahwani said the government had yet to release the protesters and quash the FIR despite assurances.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2022