ISLAMABAD: Senate deputy chairman Syedaal Khan Nasar, on Tuesday suspended the membership of three senators belonging to opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for their unruly conduct and ordered their expulsion from the House.
A day ago, the PTI senators led by the opposition leader in Senate, Shibli Faraz, staged a protest after the deputy chairman withheld the results of the count, hesitantly allowing voting on a motion for the immediate consideration of the State Bank of Pakistan (Amendment) Bill.
This led to protests by PTI senators, who said that the chair could not defer the bill after voting, but – without paying any heed to opposition’s protest – he deferred the bill, but a strong protest from the opposition forced him to reverse the decision.
The PTI senators also staged strong protests and demanded the resignation of the deputy chairman.
The opposition PTI lawmakers once again staged a protest against the deputy chairman for reversing his decision, leading to the suspension of three PTI members.
The deputy chairman suspended the membership of PTI senators Awn Abbas, Humayun Mohmand, and Falak Naz Chitrali, as the trio kept shouting slogans against the chair, terming his conduct as biased.
The deputy chairman ruled that the senators used un-parliamentary language, adding as acting chairman, “I have the right to take action against those who spoil the environment. If the previous day’s environment is created in the future, action will be taken.”
He declared that the membership of the three senators would remain suspended for the remainder of the ongoing session.
Following the announcement, the opposition staged a strong protest, chanting slogans against the deputy chairman and demanding his resignation.
Opposition leader Shibli Faraz criticised the deputy chairman’s conduct, calling it inappropriate.
“The treatment meted out to members during yesterday’s session was unacceptable. The language used was an insult to parliamentarians,” he asserted.
In response, the deputy chairman defended his previous ruling, emphasising that the House would function according to the law and that disruptive behaviour would not be tolerated.
He warned that if the opposition continued such actions, stricter measures would be taken.
However, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar attempted to defuse tensions and urged members to move forward with the proceedings.
The session remained tense even during the question-hour segment, with opposition members continuing their protests.
Tarar mocked the opposition, saying, “Go beyond ‘OooOoo,’ or soon the PTI lawmakers could be seen making animal sounds” which further infuriated the PTI MPs.
The deputy chairman also addressed opposition members, saying, “It’s time for the call to prayer; go and pray for yourselves.”
Tensions escalated further when opposition members began chanting, “Recover the Senate chairman.”
The session was adjourned until Friday at 10.30am.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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