ISLAMABAD - The opposition for the second consecutive day walked out from the proceedings of the National Assembly over not issuing production orders for PML-N’ senior lawmaker Khwaja Saad Rafique arrested by the NAB authorities.
In Friday’s sitting, a government’s coalition partner (BNP-Mengal) also staged a walkout in protest for not issuing production order by the Speaker National assembly Asad Qaiser.
BNP-Mengal Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, on a point order, expressed displeasure for not issuing production order of Saad Rafique despite the requests from opposition benches.
“It is my principle stance not to become part of the house in such a situation...Is it a Mughal royal court?,” said BNP-M chief mentioning that he was not supporting PML-N but leaving house on principle stance.
The PML-N members, who were ready to raise this issue, also immediately raise same concern before the chair.
“Give us (Opposition) opportunity to say thanks, as we demand you to issue production order of Saad Rafique,” said opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, immediately taking the floor after BNP-Mengal’s chief.
Shehbaz Sharif said they have been requesting the chair to issue production order of Khwaja Saad Rafique for last two days.
“We (opposition) once again request you to issue production order of PML-N’s senior member,” said Shehbaz Sharif and left the house in protest with the opposition members.
PPP-P’s Raja Pervaiz Ashraif also asked the chair to follow the tradition of the house and issue production order of Khwaja Saad Rafique.
All the opposition members walked out from the proceedings in protest and the chair also immediately adjourned the house without taking other agenda.
The Accountability Court handed over Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Saad Rafique and his brother Salman Rafique to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)
On December 11, NAB had arrested Khawaja brothers in the Lahore’s Paragon Housing Society case.
Earlier, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtyar, responding to a call-attention notice, said work on development schemes costing 63 billion rupees is in full swing and projects worth 32 billion rupees have already been completed.
The minister said a development scheme costing 16 billion rupees for Shandur has been revised upward to 25 billion rupees and it has been decided to release this amount.