PTI, PML-N lawmakers go physical after NA session

• MNA Murad says ruling party’s members use ‘derogatory, foul language’ against PTI members
• Talal says PTI members are narrow-minded, frustrated just like their leader
• MNA Latif hits out at Imran, asks Murad to get training from senior politicians

A scuffle broke out between lawmakers of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday outside the National Assembly after a ruling party leader called PTI chairman Imran Khan a ‘traitor’ during the assembly proceedings.

The scuffle broke out between MNA Mian Javaid Latif and MNA Murad Saeed as both the lawmakers exited the assembly and exchanged sharp words with each other. Commenting on the matter, Saeed said that the ruling party’s parliamentarians had used ‘derogatory’ and ‘foul’ language against PTI members in the past as well.

During Thursday’s session, Javaid Latif should not have called Imran Khan a traitor, he explained. “When I protested against it, the ruling party’s lawmakers told me they had labeled my leader as a traitor and not me,” he said. He urged the National Assembly speaker to take notice of the issue.

Addressing a press conference following the scuffle, PML-N leader Talal Chaudhary said that PTI was not conducting its politics in a respectable manner. He said that the PTI members frequently ‘attack’ the assembly on the floor of the parliament and from outside as well. He said that PTI members were narrow-minded and frustrated, just like their leader.

Talking to journalists, Javed Latif said that the behaviour of the PTI members was just like Imran Khan as he (Imran) did in the cricket grounds. He regretted that an immature politician of PTI Murad Saeed attacked on the PML-N members in the Parliament House. He was of the view that Murad Saeed has shown his disrespect to the speaker in assembly session and out of the assembly by again attacking the lawmakers.

“It was all because of the poor training imparted by Imran Khan,” he said and added, Murad Saeed needs to get training from the senior politicians. He said that the PTI leaders use derogatory words like their leader Imran Khan. “As a senior and mature politician, I am forgiving Murad Saeed as I know he was immature,” he remarked.

Earlier, Saeed was asked to explain comments of his party chief in the assembly. On the chance, he raised the issue of Pukhtuns being ‘mistreated’ in Punjab and lashed out at the statements made by Punjab Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah against what he said tribal people.

However, Saeed was interrupted by Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi, who asked him to cut his speech short. This ignited Saeed who responded by asking if it was a joke or a new law which required him to finish speaking within two minutes. The deputy speaker told the PTI lawmaker to not create an unpleasant environment in the assembly hall and eventually switched his microphone off. Over this, Saeed and other PTI lawmakers stood up in protest.

However, Saeed’s microphone was switched on and he was given a few minutes to speak more. The second phase of the issue that went outside the assembly hall started when the PML-N lawmaker criticised PTI chairman’s statements against foreign players who had come to Pakistan to play the final match of the Pakistan Super League.

Latif said even Imran had used harsh words against a people which made him an equal a culprit of hate speech as Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain. Even after the session was adjourned, Saeed and Latif continued to argue even outside the hall. The heated debate led to a scuffle between the two.

Talking to journalists, Opposition Leader in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah condemned the scuffle, saying that the immature people do not know how to respect the institutions and urged the National Assembly speaker to take notice of this incident. He said that this scuffle has no link with the verdict of Panama case.

In January, a scuffle had broken out as members of opposition parties requested the speaker to submit a privilege motion against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The PTI members had indulged in sloganeering against the government during the sessions.