Ethics body formed to prevent ruckus in Punjab Assembly

LAHORE: An "ethics committee" has been formed to prevent ruckus in Punjab Assembly, house's Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan said Saturday, a day after some lawmakers were barred from attending 15 sittings of the provincial legislature over disruption.

"We are forming the ethics committee to improve the assembly's environment. The body will work to maintain the decorum," the speaker said ahead of today's sitting.

Khan said that the decorum of the assembly has been deteriorating with every passing day due to the people inside it, as he referred to the shouting by opposition members during the speech of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Friday's Punjab Assembly session.

The Punjab Assembly speaker said that at least 20 "troublemakers" have been denied entry to the legislative body.

Rowdyism won't be tolerated in the house, neither the unethical slogans, he said, pledging to avoid further deterioration of the environment in the provincial assembly.

Khan said that running the house in a good way was his duty and he had the authority to take action against those creating hurdles in the conduct of sessions.

He said he would have to use his authority if the legislators stooped so law and used foul language.

Opposition members stage protest outside PA

Security outside the provincial legislature was heightened in the light of a protest by opposition members. Leader of the Opposition in Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar led the protest with the banned lawmakers chanting anti-government slogans.

Meanwhile, the members on the opposition benches boycotted today's session as soon as it began.

Speaking to media Bachar said that they wanted to ask the assembly speaker under which law were the lawmakers barred from attending the session.

He alleged that the PA speaker’s decision was based on "prejudice" as the opposition’s protest in Friday's session did not warrant suspensions.

Bachar said that the treasury benches started sloganeering at the opposition members who went inside the legislature today, while the speaker kept "enjoying" the scenario.