LAHORE - As the 7th Punjab Assembly session starts today, Speaker Punjab Assembly Ch Parvez Elahi on Tuesday issued production orders of former Punjab Senior Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and PML-N MPA Khawaja Saad Rafique to enable them attend the Assembly sittings.
Both the lawmakers are currently in the custody of NAB for interrogation in connection with corruption cases framed against them by the anti-graft body.
In two separate letters addressed to Chairman National Accountability Bureau and other concerned authorities, Punjab Assembly Speaker has written that he considers the presence of the two lawmakers necessary during the coming session. He has further directed the concerned authorities to produce them at the Assembly chambers at the commencement of each sitting.
Meanwhile, the Opposition has alleged that the present session has been convened prematurely to provide some degree of relief to ex-provincial Minister Aleem Khan who will now have an opportunity to come out of jail and spend time in the Assembly.
It is relevant to mention here that Aleem Khan, at the time of his arrest last month, had said he would not benefit from the new legislation providing for production orders of an MPA into the Assembly. However, there are reports that Aleem Khan’s family is extremely unhappy with the government. They think that government has disowned its man after his arrest by the anti-graft body.
Meanwhile, Punjab Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mohammad Basharat Raja Tuesday said that Government would table at least three bills in the Assembly during the upcoming session including Conflict of Interest Bill and Skill Development Authority Bill.
He said the government would also move a resolution in the Assembly regarding successful visit of Saudi Crown Prince.
To a question, he said that Assembly will also hold a pre-budget debate during the present session. Answering a question about appointment of Chairman PAC, the law minister said that his party’s stance about appointing Hamza Shehbaz Sharif as the chairman was very clear. He said PTI wanted to take the opposition along in the Punjab Assembly.
Asked if the government would allow Mian Nawaz Sharif to get treatment abroad, the law minister said there was no justification for this when all facilities for his treatment were available here.