LAHORE: Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said that Punjab Assembly Speaker holds extensive authority, likening the role to that of a household head with significant powers to maintain order, ARY News reported.
Speaking to the media regarding the suspension of 26 assembly members, Tarar clarified that the Speaker holds the right to suspend any member who violates their oath, as per the Constitution.
Tarar stated that all assembly members, having taken an oath, are bound to perform their duties in accordance with the Constitution. He added that the Speaker has the option to refer cases involving the potential disqualification of the 26 members to the Chief Election Commissioner for further action.
The minister stressed that the Speaker, as the head of the House, must consider their leadership role before initiating proceedings, ensuring decisions align with democratic principles.
Highlighting the importance of impartiality, Tarar stated that the Speaker would demonstrate neutrality, even if government members cross the line. While acknowledging the opposition’s right to protest, he condemned actions such as damaging chairs or uprooting microphones, asserting that such behavior does not constitute legitimate protest.
Read More: Punjab Assembly Speaker suspends 26 opposition members
Tarar urged that the law should take its course in response to such conduct.
The Law Minister expressed confidence that the Speaker would uphold democratic traditions and find an appropriate resolution to the ongoing issues.
Earlier in the day, the Punjab Assembly speaker in person visited the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) office and to file disqualification references against 26 members of the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
On June 27, 2025, the opposition MPAs allegedly caused disruption and damaged property during a Punjab Assembly session. In response, Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan suspended the membership of these 26 SIC lawmakers.
Later on June 28, the speaker announced his decision to refer the matter to the ECP for the disqualification of the suspended members.
The members suspended by the speaker included Malik Fahad Masood, Muhammad Tanvir Aslam, Syed Riffat Mehmood, Yasir Mehmood Qureshi, Kalimullah Khan, Muhammad Ansar Iqbal, Ali Asif, Zulfiqar Ali, Ahmed Mujtaba Chaudhry, Shahid Javed, Muhammad Ismail, Khayal Ahmed, Shehbaz Ahmed, Tayyab Rashid, Imtiaz Mehmood, Ali Imtiaz, Rashid Tufail, Murtaza Iqbal, Khalid Zubair, Ijaz Shafi, Saima Kanwal, Muhammad Naeem, Sajjad Ahmed, Rana Aurangzeb, Shoaib Mir and Usama Asghar Ali Gujjar.
