ISLAMABAD - In a dramatic turn of events, a senior lawmaker of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Tuesday called for issuing production orders of those PTI senators who are either facing jail or have allegedly gone into hiding to avoid arrests after May 9 incidents of violence against civil and military installations.
PML-N Senator Saadia Abbasi made the demand in the Senate besides raising a voice for those imprisoned women leaders and workers of PTI who are facing jail on charges of attacking the military installations following arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9 this year. Speaking on a point of public concern, Senator Abbasi recalled that the house had passed a bill for issuing production orders of those members of parliament who are either in jail or facing some ban or difficulty to get to the parliament.
She deplored that PTI senators including Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Azam Khan Swati, Shaukat Tarin, Shibli Faraz and Faisal Javed had not been attending the sessions of the house since long. One senator of PTI attended the session the other day after a period of 18 months, she said while referring to Dr Humayun Mohmand. She further said that the fellow lawmakers should have submitted an application for issuance of their production orders.
Speaking in favour of former chief minister and president PTI Chaudhry Parvez Elahi who is facing jail on the charges of misuse of power and corruption, she said that the seasoned politician had a role in Pakistan’s politics. The age of Elahi and his health conditions did not permit that he should be put behind the bars repeatedly. She said that her party PML-N, the arch rival of PTI, faced injustices in the past but this didn’t mean that she should not speak for those about whom no one was ready to talk.National Party Senator Tahir Bizinjo speaking on his turn said that Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were facing the worst law and order situation as compared to other parts of the country. He added that the use of force was not the solution to the Balochistan problem. He advised that the state should initiate result-oriented talks with the people of Balochistan after providing justice to the “families of thousands of missing persons.”
Awami National Party (ANP) Senator Hidayatullah Khan in his remarks said that all illegal Afghan immigrants should be expelled from the country but those having legal documents should not be manhandled and deported by the law enforcement agencies.
