Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal was barred from the National Assembly (NA) session on Thursday by Speaker Asad Qaiser despite clearance from Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) which had initially included him in the list of 332 parliamentarians who had failed to submit details of their assets.
During the session, Iqbal was asked by the NA speaker to show proof of clearance but upon failing to do so, he was barred from the session.
In a tweet, the former federal minister blamed the NA speaker for not being informed that ECP had cleared his name.
“Speaker was not informed that ECP had cleared my name. It was his mistake,” he tweeted.
سپیکر قومی اسمبلی نے احسن اقبال کی رکنیت معطل ہونے پر انہیں قومی اسمبلی کے اجلاس سے باہر نکال دیاhttps://t.co/hezyg9eAna#Speaker #NationalAssembly @betterpakistan #AhsanIqbal @pmln_org #Membership #Suspended #Ordered #Leave pic.twitter.com/RcbOQCIyyw
— Daily Nawa-i-Waqt (@Nawaiwaqt_) January 17, 2019
ECP on Wednesday suspended the memberships of 332 members of the parliament and provincial assemblies under Section 137 for failing to submit details of their assets, according to a notification issued by the commission.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry, National Health Services Minister Aamer Mehmood Kiani, Housing Minister Tariq Bashir Cheema, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal, Senator Musadik Malik and BNP-M’s Akhtar Mengal are among the suspended lawmakers.
According to details, no salary or benefits shall be accrued by the suspended lawmakers, beginning January 16, until the submission of the statements of assets and liabilities.
