Islamabad (Web Desk): National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Tuesday suspended five security officials for four months, following the arrests of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers were arrested from inside the Parliament House.
According to NA secretariat, Sergeant-at-Arms, Ashfaq Ashraf, was suspended for four months due to negligence in security duties.
Meanwhile, four other security staff members, including Security Assistant Waqas Ahmed and Junior Security Assistants Ubaidullah, Waheed Safdar, and Muhammad Haroon, were also suspended.
Plainclothesmen had stormed the Parliament House after disconnecting the power supply and barging into the building’s Services Branch to whisk away at least 11 PTI legislators.
The crackdown against the Imran Khan-founded party, which saw Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, Sher Afzal Marwat, Zain Qureshi, Sheikh Waqas Akram and others being taken into custody, came under the pretext of alleged violation of the newly enacted Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill, 2024 in relation to the party's public rally in Islamabad on Sunday.
A number of cases were filed against PTI leaders, which also include the reported attack on police at Chongi No 26 — which turned into a battleground as PTI workers and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) clashed after the formers deviated routes leading to Sangjani, venue of public gathering.
Cases have been registered at the Noon Village and Sangjani police stations.
On Tuesday, declaring that he would lodge a first information report (FIR), if need be, the NA speaker had sought footage from all entry gates of the Parliament House for evidence-based action.
He summoned the Inspector General of Police (PIG) of Islamabad to his office to inquire about the incident and instructed him to ensure that the arrested members were produced in the Parliament in accordance with legal procedures.
The Speaker also gave special instructions to the IGP to ensure respectful treatment and provide the best facilities to the arrested members, and sought a detailed report of the incident.