The National Assembly session on Thursday escalated into a political confrontation, beginning with opposition members raising concerns over a lack of quorum. PTI lawmakers staged a walkout, and the session was further intensified by the suspension of PTI member Muhammad Iqbal Khan Afridi.
The session’s turbulence started when Afridi highlighted the absence of the required quorum, prompting Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to temporarily halt proceedings as the House failed to meet the minimum attendance threshold. Although the quorum was eventually met and the session resumed, tensions remained high throughout the sitting.
Afridi persistently pointed to the empty seats, which visibly annoyed members of the treasury benches. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq issued a firm warning, stating that repeated quorum calls during this critical budget session would lead to reductions in the concerned party’s allocated debate time. He emphasized that such tactics were deliberately hindering essential parliamentary work.
Members of the treasury accused the opposition of intentionally disrupting legislative activities, while opposition lawmakers argued that ensuring quorum was a constitutional duty primarily resting with the ruling party.
The political atmosphere intensified when PTI lawmakers collectively walked out to protest restrictions on meetings with their imprisoned leader, Imran Khan, at Adiala jail. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan insisted that elected representatives must have access to consult their party leader on important parliamentary and budget-related issues.
In a significant development, PTI lawmaker Iqbal Afridi was suspended following a motion presented in the House. The motion accused Afridi of using offensive language towards National Assembly Secretariat staff, threatening parliamentary employees, mistreating lower-grade security personnel, and repeatedly disrupting the House’s proceedings. It also charged him with undermining the Chair’s authority and violating parliamentary decorum on multiple occasions.
Invoking Rule 21 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, the Speaker named Afridi and put the suspension motion to a vote. The majority supported the motion, resulting in Afridi’s suspension for the remainder of the current budget session.
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq condemned Afridi’s conduct, stating that abusive language and aggressive behavior towards lower-grade staff would not be tolerated in the House. While treasury members welcomed the disciplinary action, opposition parties criticized it as excessively harsh.
Despite the disruptions, the Assembly succeeded in passing key legislation, including the PIA Corporation Repeal Bill 2026 and the Pakistan Telecommunication Re-organisation Amendment Bill 2025. Lawmakers also debated pressing issues such as severe water shortages in Sindh and Balochistan and discussed the allocation of refugee voting seats in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Nonetheless, the suspension of Iqbal Afridi dominated discussions within Parliament, setting a confrontational tone for the remainder of the legislative term.
