NA Speaker suspends membership of Dasti, Iqbal for disruptive behaviour

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq suspended two lawmakers for disruptive behavior during President Asif Ali Zardari’s address at a joint session of Parliament.

The NA speaker on Friday suspended the memberships of two MPs from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Jamshed Ahmad Khan Dasti and Muhammad Iqbal Khan.

The opposition severely disrupted Zardari’s session by honking horns and yelling slogans, which led to the suspension.

The speaker of the National Assembly reportedly proposed the motion, claiming that the two members had behaved disruptively and had approached the speaker’s dais in a “threatening” way. The speaker claimed that the NA’s sanctity had been compromised by the disruption.

In line with rule 21 of the Parliament Joint Sitting Rules 1973’s “Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly,” membership was suspended for the duration of the current session.

The choice was taken, according to an official statement, to preserve the “decorum and integrity of parliamentary proceedings.”

Muhammad Iqbal Khan, however, praised the opposition’s protest, stating that they were dedicated to preserving Pakistan’s legal system and constitution. He issued a warning about more demonstrations against a government he called comprised of “thieves and dacoits.”

In his speech to the first joint session of Parliament under the current administration on Thursday, Zardari advocated for “collaborative efforts” to address the problems facing the country.

Foreign ambassadors were present as guests, while the Senate Chairman and the Speaker of the NA chaired the joint session.

Zardari gave a brief overview of his plans for the future of the nation during the meeting, emphasizing the need for friendly relations between the provinces and economic changes. Zardari gave his sixth speech to the joint assembly at this one as well.

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