Ahsan Iqbal barred from attending NA session despite ECP clearance

PML-N leader says ECP cleared his name and 'it was NA speaker's mistake to refrain him from attending the session

National Assembly Speaker Assad Qaiser refrained Ahsan Iqbal, the senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), from attending the Thursday's session.

On January 15, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had suspended memberships of 332 parliamentarians, including Iqbal, who failed to submit their details of assets.

During the proceedings, the speaker asked the PML-N leader to show the notification of his membership restoration, upon his failure to produce it, Qaiser told Iqbal that he could not attend the NA session.

However, the former federal interior minister took to Twitter, saying that the speaker was not informed that the ECP had cleared his name and "it was his [Asad Qaiser] mistake" for not being informed.

Speaker was not informed that ECP had cleared my name. It was his mistake. https://t.co/ROmGQ3bOq5

— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) January 17, 2019

Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri, and State Minster for Interior Shehryar Afridi were among the suspended members of Senate, National Assembly and provincial assemblies.

The total number of members in the Senate, National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies is 1,174, said the ECP.

Following suspension, the lawmakers will not be able to participate in the activities of the House or participate in assembly sessions and the lawmaking process.