Parliamentary debates often get heated. Yet, there are stringent rules on etiquettes. In the United Kingdom, for instance, words such as “hypocrite”, “traitor”, “idiot”, “coward” and even “liar” are ruled as unparliamentary language.

Now Pakistani lawmakers seem to be compiling their own list of words and expressions too rude to utter on the floor of the House.

Under the 2007 rules of the National Assembly, a speaker can ban a word, phrase, or an expression if it is considered too “argumentative, unparliamentary, ironical, irrelevant, verbose or otherwise inappropriate”. However, recently, since the new government has come to power, the following words have also invited the ire of the speaker.

“Selected”

After Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party, repeatedly referred to the prime minister as “selected” rather than “elected”, federal minister Omar Ayub Khan called for a ban on the word. The deputy speaker of the parliament agreed with Khan’s objection, adding: “You cannot call anyone that. Everyone here was elected. In the future, no one will be allowed to use that word. You degrade the house yourself by using such language.”

“Jahil”

During a thundering speech in the parliament, the PPP chairman referred to Asad Umar, the then-finance minister, as a “parha likha jahil” (an educated but illiterate person). Speaker Asad Qaiser took exception to the word and had it expunged from Zardari’s speech.

“Chor ur daku”

Federal minister Fawad Chaudhry caused a ruckus in the House after he called the opposition parliamentarians “chor ur daku” (robbers and thieves). The opposition in the National Assembly and the Senate boycotted the proceedings until Chaudhry apologised for his remarks. The speaker of the house also took notice of the unparliamentary language and had the words withdrawn from the parliament’s record. However, leaders from the treasury and opposition benches continued to use the slur on the floor of the assembly.