Chaos as govt, opp MPs 'come to blows' in NA.

ISLAMABAD: The Lower House descended into chaos on Tuesday as treasury and opposition lawmakers almost came to blows and hurled objects at each other following loud jeers, slogans and whistles by the ruling party members during the speech of Lead of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.

Tempers rose and the government and opposition lawmakers came face-to-face as PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif took aim at the government during the general debate on federal budget 2021-22. As PTI MNAs surrounded the former Punjab chief minister, PML-N lawmakers and other opposition members formed a protective circle around him.

Videos widely shared on social media showed PTI's Ali Nawaz 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 across the National Assembly hall as lawmakers from both sides attempted to hit each other with full force. Ali Nawaz Awan can also be seen in a video clip, responding in kind to abusive language by a PML-N lawmaker. A woman lawmaker tried to pull the PTI MNA away from the group of legislators who were shoving each other. He can be seen in the video, throwing a booklet at the PML-N leader and shouting angrily at him. Federal ministers Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Fawad Chaudhry were also seen standing by their seats. The treasury members, including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and some other ministers, started thumping the desks and raising slogans of 'Chor, Chor' (thief, thief) as soon as Shehbaz began his speech. Another minister, Ali Amin Gandapur, can be seen in another video clip exchanging words with the opposition lawmakers.

Speaker Asad Qaiser announced a break three times to control the commotion but in vain. The tension rose to its peak when PTI lawmaker Faheem Khan approached the opposition leader. He was resisted by some PML-N leaders then there was a rain of budget booklets (put on lawmakers' desks) in the House. When the speaker failed to control the situation, he deferred the proceedings till today (Wednesday).

Earlier, as soon as the session resumed, the speaker gave floor to the opposition leader for his speech. As he started speaking, he was greeted by loud jeers, slogans and whistles from the treasury members which continued throughout his almost one-and-a-half-hour noisy speech. Shehbaz Sharif had a written speech consisting of many pages but he could not deliver due to a scuffle which...