Punjab speaker agrees to dismiss references against suspended PTI MPAs
The standoff between the Punjab government and the opposition over the suspension of 26 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPAs appears to have been resolved, as both sides reached a negotiated settlement, paving the way for the withdrawal of disqualification references filed against the opposition lawmakers.
According to Express News, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has decided to drop the references submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the 26 suspended MPAs.
On the speaker's instructions, assembly officials have prepared a draft order suspending the government's applications, which will be formally issued upon the speaker's return from abroad.
The references were originally filed by treasury lawmakers, including Ahmad Iqbal, Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, and Iftikhar Ahmed Chhachhar, accusing the opposition members of misconduct during a recent assembly session.
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The controversy stems from an incident on June 27, when 26 members of the PTI were suspended from the assembly for creating a "disruption, ruckus and chanting indecent slogans" during the speech of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The action was taken under Rule 210(3) of the Rules of Procedure of the Punjab Assembly, 1997.
Despite receiving disqualification requests from the treasury benches, Speaker Khan granted the suspended MPAs an opportunity to present their case under Article 10-A of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to a fair hearing. The hearing took place in the speaker's chamber at the Punjab Assembly.
Subsequently, a negotiation committee comprising members of the PML-N, its allied parties, and PTI was formed to resolve the impasse.
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The committee met three times, with the most recent meeting held on Thursday. While no formal announcement was made after earlier rounds, both sides described the talks as productive.
Sources indicated that the speaker's final ruling would determine the timing of the MPAs' restoration. The opposition, however, has maintained that it will boycott all assembly proceedings until the suspended lawmakers are officially reinstated.
Speaking to reporters, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman confirmed that progress had been made, saying both government and opposition had agreed on a set of conditions.
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