LAHORE: Two opposition PML-N lawmakers were suspended for a day and sent out of the house for their “non-parliamentary remarks” about the prime minister and tearing down copies of the agenda during the Punjab Assembly proceedings on Friday.

During the Question Hour, PML-N’s Malik Arshad commented that narcotics were destroying the generations and the government was not controlling the menace because the ruling party leader “was also an addict”.

The treasury objected to the comments and Law Minister Raja Basharat said that their (PML-N members’) leaders were “thieves” but they were taking a jibe at the prime minister.

He demanded the chair, being held by Nawabzada Waseem, to call in the security staff and send Malik as well as Mirza Javed, who had allegedly torn down copies of the house agenda, out of the house. Otherwise, the minister warned, the treasury won’t allow the proceedings to go smoothly.

Former deputy speaker Rana Mashhood, also a PML-N leader, dared the law minister to come out of the house and face the opposition.

He said the ruling PTI would be unable to tolerate the comments given by a US court against Imran Khan (in Sita White case).

As both the treasury and the opposition exchanged words, the chair suspended the proceedings for 15 minutes. When the proceedings resumed, both the sides again resorted to a heated debate and the treasury demanded expulsion of Malik Arshad and Mirza Javed which the chair did.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2021