Budget session: Opp not to seek production orders for detained MPs

ISLAMABAD: The opposition in the National Assembly will not apply to the speaker for issuance of production orders of its detained members of the house for the budget session, who are facing controversial cases mostly by the NAB. Former leader of the opposition and PPP stalwart Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Pakistan Muslim League (PMLN) parliamentary group leader in the house, former federal minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, PMLN central leader Mian Javaid Latif and Pashtun Tahffuz Movement (PTM) member from erstwhile tribal areas Ali Wazir are behind the bars these days and ever since they were arrested, they haven’t been brought to the house in any session to represent their respective constituents in the house discussions and to exercise their right to vote on significant subjects. They were not brought in the house when the leader of house sought vote of confidence from the NA a few weeks ago in the wake of government’s defeat in a Senate seat contest where former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani inflicted defeat upon federal finance minister Dr. Hafeez Shaikh of the sitting government. The members were not obliged for casting their votes in the contest for election for seat of Senate from the federal capital.

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar was asked publicly by Prime Minister Imran Khan not to issue production orders of any detained member last year. Incumbent leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, who was consigned behind the bars and stayed in the prison for more than a year, asked his fellow colleagues in the party not to apply for his production orders. On earlier occasion, the speaker declined to entertain the request made by the opposition members who were behind the bar including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former federal minister and secretary general of the PMLN Professor Ahsan Iqbal, former senior Punjab minister and president of Punjab PMLN Rana Sanaullah Khan, former president Asif Ali Zardari and Mohsin Dawar of PTM.

The sources reminded that it’s the prerogative of the speaker NA to issue orders for the production of the detained/arrested members as long they aren’t convicted. Speaker Asad Qaisar whose conduct according to the opposition has throughout been under strict scrutiny by the members for his partisan behaviour and ignoring the rules for the benefit of the treasury, issued production orders in some instances in the initial months but later stopped doing so.