NA abruptly prorogued after Opposition protest
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April 24, 2021
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly session was prorogued abruptly on Friday without passing or debating a resolution on the expulsion of the ambassador of France over the publication of blasphemous caricatures in a French magazine.
The opposition members registered protest, gathering in front of the speaker’s dais after their leaders were not given the floor to speak on the points of order. Amid strong sloganeering from the opposition members, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri prorogued the session within 15 minutes of proceedings.
Opposition leaders Ahsan Iqbal and Raja Parvaiz Ashraf wanted to speak on the points of order on the exclusion of a resolution on the sanctity of the holy prophet (SAW). Opposition members including Naveed Amir Jeeva, Afzal Khokhar and Zahra Wadood Fatemi refused to ask their supplementary questions, requesting the chair to give the floor to Raja Parvaiz Ashraf and Ahsan Iqbal. However, the deputy speaker insisted that the question hour would be completed before taking up any agenda item or points of order. “I will give you floor but first let me complete the question hour,” he said.