Lahore, June 28, 2025: In a significant move to enforce decorum in the legislature, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Saturday suspended 26 opposition lawmakers for 15 assembly sessions following their disruptive conduct during the Fiscal Year 2025–26 budget session on Friday.
Announcing the decision at a press conference, the speaker said the action was taken under Rule 210(3) of the Punjab Assembly Rules of Procedure (1997), in response to what he termed “unparliamentary and violent behavior” by opposition members on the assembly floor.
“The sanctity and order of the House will be maintained at all costs. The right to protest is recognised, but it must remain within constitutional and legal bounds,” said Speaker Khan.
The speaker’s written order stated that the session had barely commenced when opposition members tore up agenda documents, shouted slogans, used abusive and offensive language, and threw torn paper at treasury benches. Some lawmakers even allegedly manhandled treasury members, violating all norms of parliamentary conduct.
Despite repeated warnings and calls to order, the opposition continued to disrupt proceedings, which the speaker said was a “willful obstruction of assembly business” and a “blatant disregard of the speaker’s authority.”
List of suspended lawmakers
- Malik Farhad Masood
- Muhammad Tanveer Aslam
- Syed Riffat Mehmood
- Yasir Mehmood Qureshi
- Kaleem Ullah Khan
- Muhammad Ansar Iqbal
- Ali Asif
- Zulfiqar Ali
- Ahmad Mujtaba Chaudhary
- Shahid Javed
- Muhammad Ismael
- Khayal Ahmad
- Shahbaz Ahmad
- Tayyab Rashid
- Imtiaz Mehmood
- Ali Imtiaz
- Rashid Tufail
- Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal
- Khalid Zubair Nisar
- Ch Muhammad Ejaz Shafi
- Saima Kanwal
- Muhammad Naeem
- Sajjad Ahmed
- Rana Aourang Zaib
- Shuaib Ameer
- Usama Asghar Ali Gujjar
In addition to the suspensions, the speaker announced that 10 opposition lawmakers have been fined over Rs2 million collectively for acts of vandalism, including breaking microphones, as documented in video evidence.
Each of the following lawmakers has been fined Rs203,550:
- Chaudhary Javed Kausar
- Asad Abbas
- Tanveer Aslam
- Riffat Mehmood
- Muhammad Ismael
- Shahbaz Ahmad
- Imtiaz Mehmood
- Khalid Zubair
- Rana Aourang Zaib
- Muhammad Ahsan Ali
Members who fail to pay the fines within seven days will face further disciplinary action.
Speaker Khan also revealed plans to refer the 26 suspended PTI lawmakers to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for further legal proceedings.
“No one will be allowed to take the assembly hostage,” the speaker asserted, adding that protecting the dignity of the house was his constitutional responsibility.
Reacting to the development, Punjab Opposition Leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhacher called the speaker’s decision “biased and politically motivated.”
“No one can stop us from protesting. It’s our democratic right,” Bhacher said during a press conference.
He claimed the speaker appeared to be acting under pressure, particularly after asking him not to protest during the chief minister’s speech.
“Who else should we protest before if not the chief minister?” Bhacher asked.
“We will continue to protest both inside and outside the house,” he vowed.
