On Tuesday, Speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, suspended five security officials for four months following the controversial arrest of PTI lawmakers inside the Parliament House. The incident, which took place just after 3 am on Tuesday, involved plainclothes officers storming the building, cutting off the power supply, and arresting at least 11 PTI legislators from the Services Branch.
The suspension orders were issued by the National Assembly Secretariat, starting with Sergeant-at-Arms Muhammad Ishfaq Ashraf (BPS-20), who was suspended for 120 days. Four other officials, including Security Assistant Waqas Ahmed and three junior security assistants—Obaidullah, Muhammad Waheed Safdar, and Muhammad Haroon—were also suspended for the same period.
While the office order did not provide specific reasons for the suspensions, it cited Rule 5(1) of the Civil Servants (Efficiency and Discipline) Rules, 2020, which allows the suspension of civil servants for up to 120 days pending investigations.
The arrests sparked outrage within the PTI, leading to a heated response in the National Assembly. Sadiq immediately called for an investigation into the arrests, seeking CCTV footage from all entry gates for evidence-based action. He also met with parliamentary leaders to discuss the incident, reiterating that the dignity of the Parliament must be upheld. Additionally, Sadiq summoned Islamabad’s Inspector General of Police to provide details about the arrests and ensure the detained MNAs were presented in Parliament.
The arrests occurred following PTI’s power show in Sangjani, where law enforcement agencies targeted key PTI leaders. Among the arrested were prominent figures such as Sher Afzal Marwat, MNA Zubair Khan, and lawyer Shoaib Shaheen. PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan clarified that his surrender was voluntary when Marwat was taken into custody.
During Tuesday’s assembly session, Gohar announced that most PTI MNAs would boycott proceedings until a full inquiry into the incident was completed, although he confirmed that the party would not resign from the Parliament.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, addressing the assembly, emphasized the need to move away from politics of revenge and urged political forces to work together for the country’s future.
