Supporters of two lawmakers from both sides of the aisle engaged in a fight in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday as they did not tolerate the corruption allegations levelled by a PTI-P member against a cabinet member.
It was difficult to hear anything, Shahab Uddin of Aaj News said while describing the environment inside the assembly hall.
For the last two days, PTI-Parliamentarian lawmaker from South Waziristan Iqbal Wazir and Special Assistant to the KP CM on Relief Nek Muhammad Dawar have been engaged in a brawl over the former’s corruption allegation against the latter.
On Tuesday, supporters of Nek Muhammad sitting in the assembly gallery used foul language for Wazir and gave threats to him.
This prompted a sharp reaction from the followers of Wazir. Supporters of both parliamentarians were seen getting into a brawl in the assembly hall.
The assembly sergeant and security officials tried to get them out of the hall, but it was seen to be out of control of the staff.
A heated exchange of words was also seen between the treasury and opposition when ANP lawmaker Nisar Baaz raised the point that they were not allowed to speak.
Ironically, Wazir was part of the PTI in the past and held the same portfolio which Nek Muhammad now holds.
“Why we are not given time to speak,” Baaz said as all lawmakers tried to pacify him and assured him that he would be given time.
On this, KP Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati adjourned the session for 10 minutes.
But when the speaker got out of the hall, PTI-P’s Wazir accused Nek Muhammad and the PTI lawmaker in South Waziristan of corruption. In response, the PTI supporters in the press gallery threatened him.
Wazir tried to go towards them, but other members of the provincial assembly stopped him. Outside the hall, supporters of both assemblies engaged in a brawl.
According to reports, PTI lawmakers’ supporters’ conduct in the august house has not been “appropriate”.
The assembly staff cleared all the galleries and asked all visitors to leave the hall. Wazir and Nek Muhammad have also been taken to the chambers.
When such situations occurred in the past, the speaker attempts to have reconciliation between the parties fighting against each other.
