PESHAWAR: A scuffle between the two treasury lawmakers and commotion by the opposition marred the session of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday.

The disturbance stopped the passage of two important bills.

The session had a smooth sailing until two PTI members, including Arbab Jandad Khan and Javed Naseem, came to blows.

The two sitting side by side were whispering while the house was discussing the weel(s` long protest of the Provincial Management Service officers.

All of a sudden, Arbab Jandad Khan slapped Javed Naseem causing a scuffle between them.

Other lawmakers rushed to them to pacify them but the enraged lawmakers kept trying invain to attack each other.

Initially, no one knew the reason of the scuffle, which took lawmakers and people sitting in the press, officer and guest galleries by surprise.

Both the lawmakers used foul language againsteachother.

The chair, Deputy Speal(er Dr Mehr Taj Roghani, repeatedly asked them not to fight but in vain.

The situation led her to adjourn the session for 15 minutes.

The legislators and assembly staff workers took the two members to different lobbies, where Arbab Jandad alleged that Javed Naseem often used abusive language against PTI chief Imran Khan in corner meetings in his constituency. However, Javed Naseem denied the allegation outright.

The opposition members shouted the slogans of `shame, shame` before staging a brief sit-in in the middle of the house to protest the `unparliamentary` act of the two PTI lawmal
The foul language used on the floor of the house remained part of the assembly records as no one requested the chair to expunge it after the session resumed.

Often, the chair orders the staffmembers to expunge such words from the proceedings.

Earlier, the newly-elected MPA, Arbab Waseem Hayat of the PMLN, took oath.

Interestingly, while welcoming him, senior minister Inayatullah Khan requested the house members to maintain a peaceful environment to give a good impression to the newcomer on his first day in the house.

Mr. Hayat had also brought dozens of the people, including relatives and voters, to the house to see his oath taking by the chair.

Earlier, the opposition lawmakers came down heavily on the provincial government for `mishandling` the weeks` long pen-down protest of the Provincial Management Service officers.

Speaking on a point of order, leader of the opposition Maulana Lutfur Rehman said the prolonged protest of PMS of ficers had brought the government`s affairs in the province to a standstill.

`No official work has been taking place anywhere in the province,` he said.

The opposition leader said it was happening for the first time in the history that officers responsible torun administrative affairs of the province were protesting in the scorching heat to claim rights.

He said it was strange as the PMS officers demanded the removal of their boss (chief secretary).

`This issue was brought to the assembly a year ago but the provincial government failed to resolve it,` he said.

Senior irrigation minister Sikandar Hayat Sherpao said the PMS officers had played a vital role in the development of the province.

`They (officers) are assets of our province,` he said.

Mr Sherpao, who heads a committee of ministers formed to sort out the issue, told the house that the matter would be amicably resolved in few days.

The commotion stopped the assembly from passing the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Censorship of Motion Pictures (Films, CDs, Videos, Stage Dramas and Shows) Bill, 2016 and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Foundation Bill, 2016, which were on the agenda, as most members left the premises thereafter.

The session was adjourned until Wednesday.