ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that they will get a resolution passed through parliament seeking blockage of PTI MPs salaries for absenting themselves from proceedings.
He said government and political parties are responsible for maintaining the quorum in parliament. “Pakistan’s democracy has not reached the level where the condition of maintaining quorum could be removed,” he said, while talking informally with news reporters after the workshop of the Parliamentary Reporters Association.
Sadiq claimed that as being the custodian of the NA he gave more time to the opposition and all the members of the house irrespective of their political affiliations and province. “If any member from Balochistan did not want to speak in the house, then I could not force him,” he said.
He said one of the members of the house always wanted to speak prior to the prime minister, the opposition leader and parliamentary leaders. He said there is no rule in the Official Rules of the National Assembly to turn the house into a House committee for hearing public petitions. “If we turn the house into a House Committee, then it will hamper the working of standing committees,” he added.
In reply to another question regarding the absence of PTI House, the NA speaker said he will take up the issue of continuous absence of PTI legislators without leave application and will inform the house as per rules and procedure.
