ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq suspended the membership of Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel of Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) for the whole budget session as he was found “guilty” of using inappropriate language against the female lawmakers.

The Speaker moved a motion in the house for suspending the membership of Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel. The house adopted the motion with a majority.

While suspending the SIC member, the Speaker remarked that Sanaullah Mastikhel seriously violated the Assembly Rules.

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“I have been a part of this House, and such language has never been used on the microphone,” Sadiq said.

The house adopted a motion introduced by the speaker regarding the suspension of the member. The motion said, “Muhammad Sana Ullah Khan Mastikhel MNA expressed objectionable and indecent remarks during the budget speech”.

“Muhammad Sana Ullah Khan Mastikhel in his budget speech expressed highly objectionable and indecent remarks, thereby eroding and lowering the sanctity of the house in violation of rule of 30 of the Rules Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.”

“The member shall now forthwith withdraw from the precincts of the Assembly under rule 21 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of the Business in the National Assembly, 2007.”

Earlier, Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that he has been a part of the House since 2002, but he has never heard such words on the mike. “I do not have the words to express or condemn the incident,” he added.

The discussion on the budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 is under way in the National Assembly.

Taking part in the discussion, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel, who later joined the SIC along with other MNAs, allegedly used inappropriate language against the female lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa, who was chairing the session at that time, turned off Sanaullah Mastikhel’s microphone but his remarks had already caused uproar in the National Assembly. The PML-N female lawmakers gathered in front of the speaker’s rostrum and protested against the SIC member. They also reached the Speaker’s chamber and demanded Sanaullah Mastikhel’s suspension.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024