Pakistan lawmakers banned for allegedly using abusive language against province’s first woman CM

Lahore: Eleven opposition lawmakers of Pakistan's Punjab Assembly were on Friday banned for 15 sittings of the House for allegedly using “abusive language” against the province's first woman Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan slapped the ban on the lawmakers belonging to jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party -- Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) -- for calling Maryam the “Queen of mandate thieves and daughter of certified thief Nawaz Sharif.” Maryam, 50, is the daughter of three-time former prime minister and archrival of Khan, Nawaz Sharif.

The Speaker took action against the opposition members for constantly interrupting Maryam Nawaz's speech in the assembly besides launching verbal attacks on her.

The speaker said the conduct of the lawmakers “become disorderly, beyond all parliamentary norms and practice” on Friday.

“The members of the Provincial Assembly (PA) in question used abusive, unparliamentary, and offensive language against the CM, other PA members, and their families,” the speaker said.

Opposition leader Malik Ahmad Bachhar condemned the Speaker's action, saying the opposition members were punished for criticising Maryam for making the lives of 120 million people of Punjab through an anti-people budget.

He said through such action, the voice of the opposition could not be suppressed.

During Friday's session, opposition members tore copies of the budget document and continued shouting at Maryam during her speech, making her lose her temper. “I don't care your (about) protest ... you will continue this style of politics for five years and I will keep working,” she said.

The opposition also called her a “fake CM, who was installed by the military establishment” in the province.