Talks between the government and opposition in the Punjab Assembly have succeeded, leading to a major breakthrough. Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan has rejected four separate reference requests seeking the disqualification of 26 opposition members. However, the ban on these members attending 15 sessions of the Assembly will remain in place.
The references were based on the lawmakers’ alleged misconduct during the budget session. Petitioners had urged the speaker to send disqualification cases to the Election Commission. They cited legal precedents, including Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification case, and questioned the lawmakers’ eligibility under constitutional articles 58, 62, and 64.
Speaker Malik Ahmed Khan, however, ruled that disqualification references cannot be sent without proper legal grounds. He emphasized that the speaker is not merely a post office to forward such references. He warned that bypassing due legal process could weaken the democratic and constitutional structure of the Assembly.
He added that allowing these disqualification requests could harm freedom of speech within the Assembly. “No finance minister has ever been able to complete their speech in my 22 years in politics,” he remarked, pointing out that political chaos is not uncommon. However, he stressed that accusations of constitutional violations must first be proven in court.
The speaker concluded that under Articles 199 and 184(3) of the Constitution, these requests lack legal standing. Therefore, the petitions are dismissed. He advised the applicants to first seek a ruling from a competent court or tribunal. Only then can the matter be reconsidered under Article 63(2) for potential disqualification.