Opp protests non-issuance of production orders

LAHORE: The PTI government on Monday came under immense criticism from the Opposition for taking a U-turn over its policy of issuing production orders for detained MPAs.

Just a few months ago, the PTI government had claimed of setting a historic precedent while empowering the Punjab Assembly Speaker for issuing production orders for MPAs under detention. However, at the beginning of the 14th session of Punjab Assembly, none of the detained MPAs of PA including Opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N MPA Khawaja Salman Rafique and ruling party MPAs including Sibtain Khan couldn’t attend the session as their production orders were not issued by Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

When the Opposition members on the floor of the House insisted the chair to issue production orders for MPAs under NAB custody, Law Minister Mohammed Basharat Raja told the House that the issue would be first brought into the notice of PTI Parliamentary party. He said after taking up the matter with Parliamentary party of PTI and Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, he would brief take the House into confidence over the matter. “Nowhere in the Constitution it is written that production orders for any detained member should be issues, it is the prerogative of the Speaker and we want a solution to this issue” said Law Minister Raja Basharat while responding to the criticism of the Opposition members.

The Opposition members on the occasion demanded immediate issuance of the Production Orders of Hamza Shehbaz and other members.

Former Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly, Rana Mashud Ahmed stated that Punjab was witnessing a very deplorable situation and crimes like dacoities, rapes had become frequent. He said the entire world was showing concern towards the present state of the province but the government was suppressing the voice of the Opposition which was obvious from the non-issuance of the production orders for the opposition leader.

Awais Leghari, the PML-N MPA, elected from Dera Ghazi Khan, said that Hamza wasn’t only the Opposition leader of the House but also an elected representative of his constituency. Syed Hassan Murtaza, the PPP Parliamentary leader, said that Peoples Party had always supported issuance of production orders. He said the prevailing circumstances demanded unity in our ranks but unfortunately, the ruling side didn’t seem serious in addressing the issues. During his speech, ruling party MPA Uzma Kardar started to interrupt him after which he stopped but the Speaker severely reprimanded the Treasury MPA and warned her of showing her the door if she continued to behave that way. Syed Hassan Murtaza demanded justice for Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.