PA welcomes CPA moot delegates
Six different international parliamentary delegations have arrived in Lahore to participate in the first Asia and Southeast Asia Regional CPA Conference, being held at the Punjab Assembly.
A delegation led by the Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, Dr Christopher Kalila, has arrived in Lahore to attend the CPA Conference.
Additionally, a three-member parliamentary delegation from the Selangor State Assembly, Malaysia, led by Speaker Lau Weng San, has also reached Lahore for the conference.
Similarly, a six-member parliamentary delegation from the Parliament of Sri Lanka, led by Speaker Dr Jagath Wickramaratne and Sri Lanka's Deputy Minister Mohamed Mulaffer Muneer, has also arrived to participate in the conference.
Furthermore, a four-member parliamentary delegation from the Parliament of Malaysia, led by Hon. Senator Pele Peter Tinggom, has reached Lahore.
Additionally, a five-member parliamentary delegation led by the Speaker of Johor State Assembly, Malaysia, Haji Mohd Puad Bin Zarkashi, and the Speaker of Terengganu State Assembly, Malaysia, Hon YB Dato Haji Mohd Nor Bin Hamzah, has also arrived for the CPA Conference.
Members of the Punjab Assembly Khurram Virk, Ahmad Khan Leghari and Staff Officer to the Speaker, Imad Hussain welcomed the initial delegations.
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Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Punjab speaker moves to disqualify 26 MPAs
Listen to article The Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan on Thursday filed a disqualification reference with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against 26 opposition members of the provincial assembly (MPAs) for "disparaging the sanctity of the house". The MPAs against whom the reference was sent to the electoral supervisor belong to the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC). Talking to media, the speaker confirmed the development, saying that those, who violated the sanctity of the house, would not be spared. "The matter is with the ECP, which may disqualify such members," he added. Malik Ahmed Khan said that it was not a democratic norm to resort to misconduct, use abusive language and resort to violence in parliament. "It is anti-democracy attitude". He said the Article 63 of the Constitution clearly defines the criteria for disqualification, and emphasised that every member of parliament takes oath to safeguard the Constitution. He vowed to fight the case for the protection of the Constitution. "It is my duty to maintain order in the house," said the Punjab Assembly speaker. "I am showing patience for more than one and a half years. I have to justify my role as the speaker," Malik Ahmed Khan stated. Earlier, the speaker directed a legal team to prepare a draft reference for consultation, before potentially submitting it to the ECP for the de-seating of 26 suspended SIC MPAs over their alleged disruptive, abusive and disorderly conduct in the house. The directive came during a meeting between the speaker and the legal experts after an initial determination that a reference could be filed based on the applications submitted by PML-N lawmakers, who urged the Speaker's Office to take action against the suspended members. On June 27, the situation in the Punjab Assembly aggravated as the opposition's noisy protest disrupted proceedings during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's addresses. Their conduct appeared even more aggressive, reportedly in response to the Supreme Court's ruling on reserved seats. The protest quickly escalated into scuffles between treasury and opposition lawmakers. Despite Speaker Khan's repeated efforts to control the situation, order could not be restored. Consequently, on the same day, the speaker suspended 26 opposition lawmakers, invoking Rule 210(3) of the Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab (1997). On June 28, the speaker, directed that Rs2,035,000 in damages be recovered from 10 PTI MPAs – approximately Rs203,550 each – for climbing onto desks and breaking eight microphones during their protest on June 16, when the provincial budget was being presented. It is worth noting that protest has historically been a recognised feature of parliamentary proceedings. Opposition lawmakers are often seen engaging in fiery exchanges, desk-thumping, slogan-chanting, tearing up agenda papers or budget documents and holding placards aloft.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Allies, experts find loopholes
Listen to article Government allies as well as legal and political experts have termed the intent to move a reference against PTI/SIC MPAs for their disorderly conduct during a session by the Punjab Assembly speaker devoid of any logic and a measure too extreme. The filing of the reference before the ECP, though widely reported by the local media, could not be independently verified. It was reported that the speaker had filed a reference against 26 suspended MPAs of the Punjab Assembly before the ECP, and according to some media outlets, the provisions cited in the reference were Articles 14 and 210 of the Punjab Assembly Rules of Procedure, 1997. However, a plain reading of these articles makes it abundantly clear that they do not permit a reference for disqualification in any way. All legal and constitutional experts contacted by The Express Tribune concurred with this opinion and further noted that there is no provision under the rules that authorises the speaker to move a disqualification reference. The confusion was compounded by Speaker Malik Muhammad Khan who, while leaving the ECP office, when first asked by the media whether he had filed the reference answered in the negative (meaning no reference was filed). However, when the media sought clarification on whether the reference had actually been filed, he replied that "it was already there" — an ambiguous answer that left matters unresolved. Nonetheless, his tone and demeanor made one thing abundantly clear: the speaker was a man on a mission. The speaker elaborated that he had submitted to the ECP details regarding the conduct of those who violated their oath under the Constitution, asking, "How should they be dealt with?" He said that those who had taken an oath to uphold the Constitution and then breached it themselves raised serious questions about their integrity and credibility. He also spoke about the Constitution, which grants the assembly the right to formulate its own rules. He questioned where in these rules it is permitted for anyone in the house to grab another member by the collar, use foul language, vandalise assembly property or attack people. At the end of his media talk, he reiterated that those who violate their oath cannot be allowed to remain part of the assembly. Those familiar with the matter say that the MPAs brought this upon themselves by going up against the "mighty" Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, who is seen as the PML-N's red line. These individuals say that the scenes witnessed that day were not unprecedented in the assembly; the only difference, they claim, was the presence of Maryam Nawaz. The move even drew criticism from government allies, who described it as a sad day for democracy and an overt attempt to eliminate opposition from the assembly. Former justice Wajihuddin Ahmed, while speaking to The Express Tribune, said that the speaker neither has the right nor the authority to seek the disqualification of any member of parliament merely for disorderly conduct. He said that if such a power were granted to the speaker, it would allow him to eliminate opposition from the assembly on one pretext or another. He further explained that a provincial assembly cannot even frame rules to this effect under the Constitution, as matters of qualification and disqualification are clearly defined in the Constitution and can only be changed through a constitutional amendment. "The pre-condition given in the Constitution and the Election Act does not apply in this scenario of seeking disqualification. One fails to see the logic behind this move." 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He added that the speaker's move would further deepen the divide between the two benches in the house and ultimately diminish his own stature. "Nothing that happened in the Punjab Assembly that day attracts disqualification" he said and added hopefully, the ECP will not entertain this request. PILDAT President Ahmad Bilal Mehboob also agreed, saying that in his view, there was no ground for disqualification. However, he said that decorum must be maintained in the assembly at all costs by the speaker if the house is to function effectively. He said that while the punitive actions taken against the MPAs were indeed justified, it was difficult to make sense of this move at this juncture given the limited information available to him. "The move seems a bit too excessive," he added. He said that nothing has been committed that would warrant disqualification. The PPP and IPP have both opposed the reference, terming it a move in bad taste. 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He added that this move would only diminish the speaker's stature and predicted that the reference would soon end up in the bin.
Express Tribune
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- Express Tribune
'Fuel levy hurts low-income families'
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