Hardly any National Assembly session passes without some fireworks and same happened on Monday when the Treasury and Opposition members came to blows during the debate on federal budget, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Lawmakers from PTI and PPP locked in heated arguments in front of the Speaker’s dais as Sardar Ayaz Sadiq asked Federal Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb to wind up the debate on federal budget soon after PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari finished his speech.
As soon as Aurangzeb started speaking, PTI MNAs particularly Iqbal Afridi initiated their protest, trying to disrupt minister’s speech, and in the meanwhile scuffled with the Treasury members.
The Speaker intervened cautioning Iqbal Afridi “It’s his misunderstanding that he would not let proceedings go on.”
But the PTI lawmaker did not heed him and tried to take head on with the ruling lawmakers while other PTI MNAs including Omar Ayub chanted anti-government slogans.
The assembly’s security staff intervened but Iqbal Afridi also pushed them.
There was also a heated exchange of words between Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Nisar Jutt and Shafqat Abbas.
However, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, Agha Rafiullah, Amir Muqam and others shielded the finance minister.
Earlier, PPP lawmakers protested speaker’s decision to let Omar Ayub speak after Bilawal Bhutto’s speech.
Reporter Usman Khan