Lahore: Speaker Punjab Assembly Malik Ahmad Khan has said that the opposition’s right has been acknowledged, and any agreement regarding the sanctity and decorum of the House will now be made in writing.

Speaking informally to journalists in Lahore, Malik Ahmad Khan stated that it is the speaker’s responsibility to make decisions when questions arise. He added that the suspension of opposition members was carried out as per assembly rules, and if the speaker doesn’t decide on disqualification, the matter is forwarded to the Election Commission after 30 days.

He appreciated the move by opposition members to return to the Punjab Assembly, calling it a positive step, and noted that Ahmad Khan Bhachar had asked for time to consult with lawyers to resolve the issue. Both the government and opposition have agreed that there should be no violations of human rights, and henceforth, both sides will have equal rights in the Assembly.

Written Agreement on Assembly Conduct

The speaker emphasized that:

“We recognize the opposition’s right and will allow protest — but within constitutional limits. No violence, mob behavior, or throwing books at the finance minister will be tolerated. Both the government and opposition must bring the agreement in writing.”

He said a final decision will be made in three days, not immediately.

Letter from KP Assembly Speaker

Malik Ahmad Khan also revealed that the Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly had written to him regarding the suspension of opposition members. However, he criticized the KP Speaker, stating that he seems to have aligned himself with a political party’s protest.

This comes in the context of the recent suspension of 26 opposition members from the Punjab Assembly, and ongoing negotiations between government and opposition committees to resolve multiple issues.