LAHORE:
It is likely that the key representatives of the treasure banks and opposition establish terms of reference (Tor) in the next few days, destined to regulate the future procedures of the Punjab Assembly and discourage humiliation, abusive exchanges and violent conduct among legislators.
The development follows an initial advisory meeting between the president of the Punjab Assembly, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, and 26 MPa suspended from Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf (PTI) for disqualification references presented against them.
According to reports, both parties agreed to form a joint committee of high -level members so that the consultation process is more effective and explore constitutional, legal and parliamentary solutions to Impasse.
It is worth mentioning that President Khan had received disqualification references against these MPA currently suspended under article 63 (2) Read with article 113 of the Constitution.
It is its constitutional obligation to decide on these references within 30 days, as stipulated in said provisions.
Consequently, the speaker had summoned the MPA suspended for an audience under article 10-A of the Constitution before July 11 (yesterday) in his Chamber in the Punjab Assembly.
A reliable source, which speaks with the Express PAkGazette about the condition of anonymity, said that the movement of the speaker to suspend 26 MPa and subsequently send the matter to the Pakistan Electoral Commission (ECP) fulfilled a double purpose: first, it helped to dissipate perceptions within his party of his favoring the opposition; Secondly, it brought the opposition to the negotiation table under the pretext of the disqualification reference, thus creating the space to frame the mutually agreed tors.
The source added that the atmosphere of the meeting was cordial, and a second round of conversations can be held on Sunday or the next day.
Both parties can nominate three or four members each to form the joint committee in charge of writing tors to ensure that members abstain abusive, humiliating or violent behavior.
A key point that is considered is that each member must be heard respectfully in the camera, without interruptions, before answers are made.
If the opposition is still forced to protest, they can do so in accordance with democratic parliamentary norms and without resorting to derogatory language or physical interruption.
The treasure is still debating whether the tors must specifically mention Prime Minister Maryam Nawaz by name, ensuring that his speeches, together with those of the opposition leader, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachaha, and others, proceed without interruption, or if the document adopts a broader principle that indicates that all the speeches of the members will be respected and will be strictly treated.
According to the source, the opposition can have difficulty keeping calm during Maryam Nawaz’s speeches.
However, they are expected to recognize that while protest is their democratic right, they do not support abusive or violent behavior.
In future sessions, they can restrict protests to their designated banks instead of assembling in front of the sperand of the speaker.
First meeting round
During the first round of conversations chaired by President Khan in his camera, the representatives of the treasure and the MPA of PTI suspended, led by the opposition leader, Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachaha, proposed to initiate the mutual dialogue.
The speaker welcomed this proposal hotly.
President Khan began the meeting referring to past political regimes and then emphasized the importance of democratic behavior within the assembly.
“Dialogue and consultation are the essence of parliamentary democracy. Each disagreement can be resolved through a positive, dignified and constitutional approach,” said the speaker.
Both parties demonstrated the will to put aside their differences and proceed in accordance with democratic norms.
Background
The speaker Khan has often been seen as sympathized with the opposition, regularly allowing its members to speak during the procedures, even at points of order.
It has also been observed by taking a severe tone with treasure members.
Over time, this approach led to an increasing perception among treasure legislators that the speaker was disproportionately favoring the opposition.
They argued that it should limit the opposition floor time and adopt a stricter posture.
However, President Khan said that it was necessary to take both sides and that it was not appropriate to take punitive measures on minor offenses.
While the opposition appreciated its conciliatory approach, it created concern within the treasure banks. Finally, the treasure began to ignore the protests and interruptions of the opposition in the house, especially during the speeches of the CM Maryam Nawaz.
Sometimes, opposition legislators were even seen confined to their seats instead of protesting in front of the sperand of the speaker.
The speaker and treasure had long urged the opposition to maintain peace and decorum during the speeches of the main minister.
However, the opposition seemed to take advantage of the clemency of the speaker, praising his neutrality while he continued to interrupt the procedures during Maryam Nawaz’s speeches, despite the guarantees otherwise.
This tension reached its maximum point during the recent budget session. On June 27, when CM Maryam Nawaz pronounced his speech, the opposition seemed especially aggressive, possibly emboldened by the decision of the Supreme Court on the issue of the reserved seats.
President Khan was under pressure to maintain order, while the treasure hoped that the opposition honored past understanding. However, the Apex court ruling drastically changed the atmosphere.
The opposition did not leave stone without moving when interrupting the speech of the CM, which led the speaker to advance with disqualification references.
The speaker’s decision to initiate references attracted public criticism, and many argue that PTI had already been politically cornered.
Several PML-N legislators also advised the speaker to resolve the matter within the assembly, instead of growing the ECP.
