ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq suspended Sergeant at Arms Muhammad Ishfaq Ashraf for four months for demonstrating negligence in maintaining the NA’s security.
Additionally, the speaker suspended four other security personnel for the same term for failing to ensure the house security. This includes Security Assistant Waqas Ahmed and three junior security officers: Obaidullah, Waheed Safdar, and Muhammad Haroon.
Report Says, this development follows the political turmoil that arose after Islamabad police arrested several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers allegedly within the Parliament House premises.
The arrests angered not only the former ruling party but also the speaker, who reprimanded Islamabad Inspector General (IG) of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi and demanded the immediate release of the PTI leaders.
The speaker questioned the police chief, “What was the rationale behind arresting a parliamentarian?”
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Sadiq remarked, “Whatever happened in the Parliament must be protested. I have ordered all the videos to be collected,” adding that he would file a case against those involved in the incident.
The crackdown on the Imran Khan-founded party, which led to the detention of Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, Sher Afzal Marwat, Zain Qureshi, Sheikh Waqas Akram, and others, was carried out under the pretext of an alleged violation of the newly enacted Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024, in connection with the party’s public rally in Islamabad on Sunday.
Several cases were filed against PTI leaders, including a reported attack on police at Chongi No 26, which became a battleground as PTI workers and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) clashed after the former deviated from their routes leading to Sangjani, the venue of the public gathering.
Cases have been filed at the Noon Village and Sangjani police stations. While the PTI seeks the identity of the “masked men” who allegedly took away its lawmakers, the government has pledged to take action only if the opposition party proves its allegations.
Gohar has since been released, and the former has also been cleared of the case registered at Sangjani police station.
