NA session descends into chaos as lawmakers hurl objects, shout expletives at each other

The National Assembly witnessed a rumpus on Tuesday as lawmakers from the treasury and opposition benches nearly came to blows and hurled objects at each other.

The rumpus began as opposition lleader Shehbaz Sharif attempted to speak, for a second day, during the general debate on federal budget 2021-22.

Videos widely shared on social media showed PTI's Ali Awan shouting expletives at a member of the opposition and tossing a book at his rival, who hurled it back at him.

Later, budget books were seen flying the National Assembly hall as lawmakers from both sides attempted to hit each other.

"Today the whole nation saw on their TV screens how the ruling party resorted to hooliganism & even naked abuse. Only goes to show how ethically shallow Imran Khan and his whole party are and how PTI has turned into a fascist and abusive party. Unfortunate!" tweeted Sharif after the session.

On Monday, in an unprecedented move, treasury members stopped the opposition leader from opening up the general debate on the budget, declaring that government would not allow him and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to speak in the National Assembly without first having a ‘written guarantee’ that they would hear speeches of Prime Minister Imran Khan and ministers silently.

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The treasury members, including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and some other ministers, stood up and started thumping the desks and raising slogans of ‘Chor, Chor’ (thief, thief) as soon as Speaker Asad Qaiser gave floor to the opposition leader to open up the general debate on the federal budget 2021-22 that was presented by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on June 11 amid a similar noisy protest by the opposition.

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