Syed Ali Shah:
Quetta: Things got heated in the Balochistan Provincial Assembly on Thursday when Speaker Captain (Retd) Abdul Khaliq Achakzai asked senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader and MPA Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman to leave the House.
The clash started when Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman kept speaking despite the Speaker’s repeated warnings. The Speaker pointed out that the member was not following parliamentary rules and discipline, especially when questions were being raised about the presence of a proper quorum.
Captain Abdul Khaliq Achakzai directed the Sergeant-at-Arms to escort Maulana out, saying the Chair had no choice but to maintain order in the House.
Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman, known for his strong and passionate style, walked out in protest. Talking to journalists outside the assembly, he called the Speaker’s action “unjust” and accused him of behaving in an authoritarian manner, claiming he wasn’t ready to listen to anyone.
But the tension didn’t last long. Soon after, a group of provincial ministers and opposition members stepped in to calm things down. They spoke with Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman and managed to convince him to return to the House.
The brief episode once again shows how quickly things can flare up between the ruling side and the opposition in Balochistan Assembly. Such moments of high drama have become quite common in recent sessions, often leaving observers wondering about the smooth running of legislative work.
This time, at least, cooler heads prevailed and the matter was resolved without any major disruption.
