- Advertisement -
LAHORE, Dec 09 (APP):Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan has said that Pakistan could no longer afford growing political division, institutional conflict or hostility toward the armed forces.
Addressing a press conference at the Old Building of the Punjab Assembly, here on Tuesday, he said the country was experiencing heightened instability and internal pressure, adding that the government had already issued a detailed response to the DG ISPR’s press briefing which highlighted emerging unrest.
The speaker said the nation stood firmly with the Pakistan Armed Forces and added that the state system was being pushed backwards due to certain motives.
He criticised parliamentary conduct since 2018, saying that Parliament had been reduced to a venue of noise and disruption where serious legislative debate was obstructed. He recalled members climbing onto the Assembly dais, engaging in disorder and failing to speak on public issues.
The speaker condemned the language used in a recent public gathering in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, terming it shameful. He said such remarks were unacceptable both morally and politically.
The speaker added that the PTI founder halted political dialogue during his tenure and caused lasting damage to the CPEC.
Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan said the worst political revenge was carried out during the PTI government, during which unnecessary arrests were made for six months, houses were demolished and businesspeople were implicated in baseless cases.
Expressing deep concern over the May 9 incidents, the speaker said he felt fear and shame after witnessing the attacks. He recalled that 27 cantonments were assaulted in an organised manner, the Lahore Corps Commander House was set on fire and the national flag was burned.
The speaker said that the country could not afford further polarization, adding that the judiciary should not be made more controversial and Parliament should not be weakened any further. “Democracy is fragile and cannot function through abuse and conspiracy,” he concluded.