National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Tuesday said that lawmakers would not be allowed to speak against national institutions, including the armed forces and the judiciary, on the floor of the House.
Chairing a session of the Lower House, Sadiq responded directly to constitutional violation allegations raised by Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai. “Tell me, what constitutional violation did I commit?” he asked, going on to warn that statements unacceptable outside the Parliament would not be tolerated inside either.
The speaker focused heavily on rhetoric regarding Pakistan’s state interests, directly referencing opposition remarks about mobilising a civilian militia and prioritising neighbouring interests.
“When you say that you will take one person from every household and create an army, when you say that you will support Afghanistan and give Afghanistan priority instead of Pakistan, if this means breaking the Constitution, then I will break the Constitution again and again,” Sadiq said.
“I will not allow you to speak against Pakistan here. I will not allow you to speak against the armed forces here. I will not allow you to speak against the judiciary here.”
Sadiq also targeted the opposition’s parliamentary conduct, noting that lawmakers who complained about insufficient speaking time had consumed double their allotted slots during the budget debate.
He criticised opposition members for skipping legislative committee meetings, and said, “The debating society tells you to come and sit in the committees, why don’t you come? You have left these spaces yourselves. You are in a state of confusion; you do not know what you want.”
Before concluding, the speaker apologized to Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif for the disruption, stating that despite political confusion, the House must remain united when it comes to Pakistan.
