Islamabad
The Sergeant-at-Arms of Pakistan’s National Assembly, Ashfaq Ashraf, along with four security personnel, has been suspended after arrests were made inside the parliament premises. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq took action following a review of the incident. Ashraf was suspended for four months due to negligence in security duties.
Four other security staff members—Security Assistant Waqas Ahmed and Junior Security Assistants Ubaidullah, Waheed Safdar, and Muhammad Haroon were also suspended. The suspensions occurred after several parliament members expressed concern over the police entering the assembly to make arrests. Members from various parties, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), condemned the police action, calling it an attack on parliament.
Opposition leader Omar Ayub demanded accountability for those responsible, questioning the arrests made within the assembly premises. The incident followed a police operation on Tuesday, during which several prominent PTI leaders were arrested. PTI leaders Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, and Advocate Shoaib Shaheen were among those arrested outside the parliament. Two security personnel stationed outside the Parliament Service Centre were also detained. It was reported that the lights in the National Assembly were turned off before officers entered the building.
