MR. KHAWAJA, WE COME HERE WITH THE PUBLIC VOTES, NOT (LIKE YOU) BY ELEVATING SCROTUM: SAYS MASTIKHEL IN A ‘REVERED HOUSE’

Mahtab Bashir
0333 53 63 248
mahtabbashir@gmail.com

From the Parliament House where immorality prevails?

ISLAMABAD: Time and again, we have been told by the parliamentarians about the sanctity and reverence of the lower and upper house of the parliament. During a post-budget session, it was further ‘reiterated’ on Saturday (June 22) when PTI turned SIC member of the house Muhammad Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel (NA-91, Bhakkar-1) pointing to Khawaja Asif of PMLN saying, “… Mr. Khawaja, we come (to parliament) with the public votes, we do not come (here) by lifting the testicles …”.

Deputy Speaker NA, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, who was chairing the session, hurriedly interfering the proceeding saying, “We expunge these remarks. Mr. Mastikhel, you are a veteran parliamentarian”. Later the provocative statement led to an immediate commotion in the House, disrupting proceedings and forcing the Dy. Speaker to adjourn the session for 15 minutes.

Even more astounding was the fact that initially, every “distinguished member” of the house was seen giggling, laughing, and enthusiastically patting Mastikhel on the back with hearty chuckles. A member of the group even gave Mastikhel a round of applause, exclaiming, "You have managed to capture the essence of the river in a mere bowl", a compliment that Mastikhel took to heart with great pride.

Female members of parliament voiced their strong objection to the indecent language being used in the proceedings, citing that it goes against the dignity and respect expected in this legislative body.

Hours later, speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq suspended the membership of Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel for the current session. The Speaker mentioned that, he himself, despite being a longstanding member of the House since 2002, had never witnessed such inappropriate language being used on the microphone before. He expressed his deep concern and disapproval for the incident, stating that he was at a loss for words to adequately convey his disappointment.

Suspension for a current session  

Speaker Sadiq introduced a motion to suspend Mastikhel, which was unanimously approved by the House. The resolution cited that Mastikhel's comments were highly objectionable and disrespectful, breaching rule 30 of the National Assembly's Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in 2007. As per rule 21 of the same guidelines, Mastikhel was required to leave the Assembly immediately.

The common belief is that the elected officials in parliament, whom the public has entrusted and voted for, should be focused on addressing the issues facing their constituencies. However, their use of vulgar and disrespectful language calls into question their ability to effectively solve these problems. If they are willing to use such inappropriate language within the esteemed halls of parliament, one can only wonder what kind of language they would direct towards their own constituents.

The general public is urging all political parties to prioritize the correction of their members by emphasizing ethics and moral values. It is recommended that crash courses on ethical principles be promptly arranged before the Speaker of the National Assembly invites them to address the house using an open microphone.

Muhammad Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel, 52, is not only a seasoned politician but also an agriculturist. He earned his LLB degree from Punjab University Law College in 1996. As an Independent Candidate, Mastikhel secured a victory in the 2024 election for the NA-91 Bhakkar-I seat, securing a total of 106,003 votes. In a close second was Abdul Majeed Khan from the PMLN party, who received 85,429 votes.