The negotiation committees of the treasury and opposition lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly met again on Thursday to resolve the matter of the suspension of 26 PTI MPAs. The two sides have yet to agree on what constitutes a rightful protest and what is a ruckus.
The treasury has linked the restoration of the 26 suspended MPAs with the Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan's final ruling. However, the opposition has warned that its MPAs will not attend any assembly sessions until the suspended lawmakers are restored.
In the third round of talks, the negotiation committee apparently agreed to run the house in accordance with the decisions of the business advisory committee and the Rule 223 of Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1997.
An insider wishing not to be named told The Express Tribune that the opposition did not fulfill the demand of the treasury to give documented assurance of the compliance of five conditions placed before them.
The treasury's side was of the view that everyone speaking in the house must be given respect, heard without interruption, sloganeering and noise. The treasury said there should be no room for any abusive and violent conduct.
The opposition said they discourage abusive and violent conduct but protest is their right. The treasury agreed with it but noted that there are democratic ways of protest which need to be adopted.
Talking to the media later, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman said the government and opposition sides agreed on few conditions.
However, he said, assembly rules are very clear. "No one in the house including Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Opposition leader Malik Ahamd Khan Bhachar will be interrupted," he said.
Bhachar in his media talk did not confirm that the opposition agreed not to stage any protest or chant slogans during anyone's speech in the house.
Sources privy to this matter said it seemed the opposition was given a safe exit in the name of negotiation after strong pressure and criticism over suspension of 26 MPAs.
He quoted opposition lawmakers saying that no one could stop them from exercising their right of protest. No doubt, rules restrain lawmakers from interrupting while someone is speaking but it does not mean that their right of protest will be snatched which the rules allow them.
However, both sides termed the third round of talks as a successful round.
Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan suspended 26 PTI MPAs on June 27 for creating "disruption, ruckus and chanting indecent slogans" during the speech of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in the houseunder rule 210 (3) of the Rules of Procedure, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab, 1997.
After that the speaker received applications from some treasury lawmakers seeking disqualification of aforementioned MPAs under Article 63(2) read with Article 113 of the Constitution.
Speaker Khan provided an opportunity of hearing to the suspended MPA, under Article 10-A of the Constitution, to the PTI's suspended 26 MPAs in his chamber at Punjab Assembly. Later on, a negotiation committee, consisting of PMLN, allied parties and PTI was constituted.
The speaker on Tuesday issued a press release clarifying that members suspended under Rule 210 of the Rules of Procedure 1997 would be entitled to vote in the said election.
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