Extreme step

DEMOCRACY is noisy and may even get messy. Rowdy protests are a common feature of parliamentary proceedings. Legislative history everywhere is replete with instances of fiery, even abusive, exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches.

Occasionally, verbal clashes turn physical. When lawmakers cross acceptable limits, they may be temporarily barred from attending the proceedings. That is what happened in the Punjab Assembly during the recent budget session. Protesting opposition MPAs interrupted Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz ...