Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel's NA membership suspended over 'foul remarks'

ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq suspended Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) member Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel for the entire budget session as he was found ‘guilty’ of using inappropriate language against the female lawmakers, ARY News reported.

While suspending the SIC member, the speaker remarked that Sanaullah Mastikhel seriously violated the Assembly Rules.

“I have been a part of this House, and such language has never been used on the microphone,” Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said.

The house adopted a motion introduced by the Speaker regarding the suspension of the member. The motion said, “Muhammad Sana Ullah Khan Masti Khel MNA expressed objectionable and indecent remarks during the budget speech”.

The ruling said “Muhammad Sana Ullah Khan Masti Khel in his budget speech expressed highly objectionable and indecent remarks, thereby eroding and lowering the sanctity of the house in violation of rule of 30 of the Rules Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.

The member shall now forthwith withdraw from the precincts of the Assembly under rule 21 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of the Business in the National Assembly, 2007.

Earlier, Speaker of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said that he has been a part of the House since 2002, but he has never heard such words on the mike . “I do not have the words to express or condemn the incident,” he added.

The discussion on the budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 is underway in the National Assembly. Taking part in the discussion, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-backed Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel, who later joined the SIC along with other MNAs, allegedly used inappropriate language against the female lawmakers belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa, who was chairing the session at that time, turned off Sanaullah Masti Khel’s microphone but his remarks had already caused an uproar in the National Assembly.

The PML-N female lawmakers gathered in front of the speaker’s rostrum and protested against the SIC member. They also reached the Speaker’s chamber and demanded Sanaullah Masti Khel’s suspension.

In a similar incident last, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Tariq Bashir Cheema ‘used’ abusive language against PTI leader Zartaj Gul.

During his address to the assembly, PML-Q MNA Tariq Bashir Cheema was interrupted by Zartaj Gul, who referenced the Bahawalpur incident.

Following his speech, Cheema approached Zartaj Gul’s seat, leading to a tense exchange allegedly involving verbal insults, which incited members of the SIC to stage a protest against the incident.

As per the received details, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and PML-N leader Tariq Fazal Chaudhry have apologized to the SIC members, while the SIC demanded the registration of an FIR against the PML-Q member.