ISLAMABAD: Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan on Thursday filed a disqualification reference against 26 PTI-backed opposition MPAs with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Speaking to the media after holding a meeting with ECP officials in Islamabad, Malik said that he had already submitted the reference and today’s meeting was held to seek legal advice on related matters.

The disqualification reference comes just days after unrest during the Punjab Assembly budget session when opposition members raised slogans and disrupted the proceedings.

In an order dated June 27, the speaker, while exercising powers conferred under Rule 210(3) of the Rules of Procedure 1997, suspended the opposition members for a total of 15 assembly sessions.

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“Lawmakers who fail to uphold the constitution have no right to remain part of the provincial assembly,” he said while talking to media outside the ECP office.

He further warned that any MPs involved in abusive language, vandalism, and disruptive behaviour would not be granted any leniency.

• The reference filed againstPTI-backed MPs include Malik Farhad Masood, Muhammad Tanveer Aslam, Syed Riffat Mehmood, Yasir Mehmood Qureshi, Kaleem Ullah Khan, Muhammad Ansar Iqbal, Ali Asif, Zulfiqar Ali, Ahmad Mujtaba Chaudhary, Shahid Javed, Muhammad Ismael, Khayal Ahmad.Shahbaz Ahmad, Tayyab Rashid, Imtiaz Mehmood, Ali Imtiaz, Rashid Tufail, Muhammad Murtaza Iqbal, Khalid Zubair Nisar, Ch Muhammad Ejaz Shafi, Saima Kanwal, Muhammad Naeem, Sajjad Ahmed, Rana, Aourang Zaib, Shuaib Ameer and Usama Asghar Ali Gujjar.