- PA spokesman says body will work to maintain assembly decorum.
- Khan says 20 “rioters” were denied entry into the legislature.
- Opposition members stage a protest outside the Punjab Assembly.
LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan on Saturday announced the formation of an ethics committee to purge the legislature of hooliganism, a day after he barred some lawmakers from attending 15 sessions of the provincial legislature for disruptions.
“We are forming an ethics committee to improve the atmosphere of the assembly. The body will work to maintain decorum,” the president said before today's session.
Khan said the decorum of the assembly has been deteriorating day by day because of the people inside it, referring to the shouting by opposition members during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz's speech in the Punjab Assembly session on Friday.
The Punjab Assembly speaker said at least 20 “rioters” have been denied entry into the legislature.
Disturbances and unethical slogans will not be tolerated in the House, he said, vowing to prevent further deterioration of the atmosphere in the provincial assembly.
Khan said that managing the house in a good manner was his duty and he had the authority to take action against those who created obstacles in the conduct of the sessions.
He said he would have to use his authority if lawmakers broke the law and used foul language.
Members of the opposition demonstrate in front of the Palestinian Authority
Security outside the provincial legislature was stepped up in light of a protest by opposition members. Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar led the protest and the banned legislators chanted anti-government slogans.
Meanwhile, members of the opposition benches boycotted today's session as soon as it began.
Speaking to reporters, Bachar said they wanted to ask the speaker of the assembly under which law lawmakers were prohibited from attending the session.
He said the PA president's decision was based on “prejudice” as the opposition's protest at Friday's session did not justify suspensions.
Mr Bachar said the Treasury benches had begun chanting slogans against opposition members who entered the legislature today, while the president continued to “enjoy” the scene.
