'Go Nawaz Go' chant leads to brawl in Senate Standing Committee meeting

PTI's Haq said to have punched PML-N’s Sarzameen Khan, according to members present in the meeting

ISLAMABAD: The controversial “Go Nawaz Go” slogan found its way into the upper echelons of the government as it led to a brawl between PML-N and PTI leaders during a Senate Standing Committee meeting on Tuesday.

Taking a jab at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MNAs Hamidul Haq and Saleemur Rehman for attending the session despite having submitted resignations to the National Assembly speaker, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders light-heartedly chanted “Come Imran Come.”

To this, Haq responded with the viral chant “Go Nawaz Go,” and as the exchange of slogans continued, Haq is said to have punched PML-N’s Sarzameen Khan, according to members present in the meeting.

According to sources, Sarzameen was injured in the altercation. However, talking to The Express Tribune, the minister denied the reports and claimed he was the one who punched Haq, who fell to the floor after the beating.

The fight ended after female members of the committee intervened. The meeting was postponed without concluding the proceedings, a member of the committee told The Express Tribune.

“We intervened to restore order and asked the chairman of the committee to put a stop to such behavior,” she added.

While talking to The Express Tribune, Haq admitted punching the PML-N member, saying “I punched Sarzameen when he was spoke against PTI female workers participating in the dharna in Islamabad.”

Haq added that he also received minor bruises during the scuffle.

However, both MNAs admitted that their actions were against parliamentary norms and they were ready to sit together to clarify misunderstandings.

The Senate Standing committee meeting on communications was called to discuss issues regarding ongoing work on the Lyari Expressway.  Muttahida Qaumi Movement MNA Sufyan Yousaf was presiding the meeting, during which officials of National Highway Authority were meant to brief the lawmakers.

Previous altercations

On September 29, a doctor was beaten up as he stood up in a meeting of the Pakistan Medical Association and chanted “Go Nawaz Go.”

PML-N ministers have also been caught in embarrassing situations as crowds start chanting “Go Nawaz Go” interrupting their speeches.

Hamza Shahbaz, son of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, was forced to cut short his speech during his address to mark World Tourism Day in Alhamra hall in Lahore as crowds started chanting ‘Go Nawaz Go.’

Earlier, during Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal’s speech at Preston University, a student chanted ‘Go Nawaz Go.’ However, Iqbal was not perturbed and continued his speech; the student, however, was expelled.