By Naveed Butt | Zulfiqar Ahmad

Copyright brecorder

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Monday witnessed tense scenes as lawmakers from the embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged a walkout in protest against ongoing operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s restive districts, particularly Tirah valley.

The protest erupted shortly after the lower house resumed proceedings with Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in the chair. Clad with placards bearing images purportedly of civilians killed in a recent bombardment in Tirah, PTI members chanted slogans against ‘military action’ and thumped desks in defiance.

Some government members accused PTI of siding with militants, referring to them as sympathisers of Khawarij, a term often used to denote militants.

The sloganeering briefly interrupted the floor speech of PPP’s Agha Rafiullah, who lashed out at the opposition.

“Shame on these PTI lawmakers for so blatantly supporting Khawarij and opposing military action against militants,” he said, drawing applause from treasury benches.

However, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, PTI’s parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, reiterated his party’s stance, stating that military operations are no sustainable solution to terrorism.

“We will not support any such operations in any district. Dialogue and political engagement are the way forward,” he said.

In a rare and symbolic gesture, PTI MNA Iqbal Afridi stood before the Speaker’s dais and recited the Azaan, prompting fellow party lawmakers to offer duas seeking deliverance from what they termed “corrupt and illegitimate rulers.”

Meanwhile, the proceedings were also marked by a separate walkout – this time by reporters covering the proceedings of the National Assembly – protesting the alleged misbehaviour by incarcerated PTI founding chairman Imran Khan towards a local journalist Ijaz Ahmad, during a recent court appearance at Adiala Jail.

Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, addressing the issue, condemned the incident. “Decency and tolerance are the hallmarks of politics. Unfortunately, indecent language was used against a journalist performing his professional duties,” he said.

He added that online trolling of the journalist in question had further compounded the issue and called for restraint in political discourse.

Later, the National Assembly adopted a resolution condemning the harassment of the journalist in question and calling for enhanced security measures for media personnel facing threats.

The resolution, tabled by MQM’s Khawaja Izharul Hassan, was adopted despite objections from PTI’s Barrister Gohar, who requested the Speaker to defer the motion.

Gohar argued that passing the resolution without fully ascertaining facts would set a troubling precedent. “I am scheduled to meet Imran Khan in Adiala Jail on Tuesday (today) during trial proceedings and will inquire directly about what transpired. I will then engage with the journalist concerned,” he assured the House.

Despite his objections, Speaker Sadiq proceeded with the resolution, which was adopted with a majority voice vote.

Earlier in the day, the PTI decided to boycott future sessions of the National Assembly in protest, following directives from its incarcerated founding chairman, Imran Khan.

The decision was taken during a meeting of the party’s parliamentary committee earlier in the day, chaired by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and attended by party senators and MNAs.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Barrister Gohar said that the committee unanimously endorsed the instructions conveyed by the party supremo, agreeing to withdraw from formal proceedings and instead hold symbolic gatherings outside the Parliament House as well as outside Adiala Jail.

He said the party would now organise peaceful protest sittings outside the assembly to voice its grievances. “Our members were disqualified under various pretexts, and those who remain are routinely denied the right to speak in the House,” he said.

He further alleged that PTI lawmakers were prevented from participating in routine parliamentary business, including Independence Day celebrations.

“Despite all odds, we attended proceedings and tried to present our demands democratically, but were consistently silenced,” he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025