Speaker disallows debate on domestic helper’s death

Opposition vows to stage strong protest in next session

LAHORE: The opposition benches strongly reacted to the dismissal of a call attention notice by the Speaker Punjab Assembly, submitted to discuss recent developments in the case of 16-year-old domestic helper, who was allegedly tortured to death at the house of PML-N MPA Shah Jahan’s daughter Fauzia.

The call attention notice submitted by Opposition leader Mehmoodur Rasheed, means a notice through which a special question of public importance involving law and order may be raised. The opposition in the call attention notice sought a substantial development and progress in the case of domestic helper Akhtar’s killing. The boy was allegedly tortured to death by Fauzia – the daughter of PML-N MPA Shah Jahan.



Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan had dismissed the call attention notice under rules 62 (1) of Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of The Punjab 1997, claiming the matter is not related to law  and order situation in the province.

The conduct of the Speaker was regrettable because he merely dismissed the notice to protect the skin of his party’s PML-N legislator, said Rasheed. The Speaker should render his duty impartially rather than pretending as PML-N activist, he said, adding that the Speaker dismissed the call attention notice to stop pandemonium in the House, he added.



Talking to The Express Tribune, the opposition leader said the domestic helper was tortured to death at the house of MPA’s daughter, the FIR was registered against her daughter and post-mortem report established that the deceased Akhtar was tortured to death but the Speaker said it was not a matter of law and order.

Rasheed asked if they were unable to submit such notices in the Punjab Assembly where then should they submit them. He vowed to stage strong protest in the next Punjab Assembly session against the dismissal of the call attention notice. “I failed to understand that the legislators can ask anything in the Punjab Assembly so why can they not ask about the death of the domestic helper at the house of MPA’s daughter.”

Police still clueless about domestic worker's whereabouts

In his call attention notice, the opposition leader asked Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, was that true the minor domestic helper was allegedly tortured to death at the house of PML-N MPA’s daughter. He further asked was that true the sister of the deceased was also beaten up.

“What is the progress in that case and why the culprits have not been arrested in the case so far,” he asked Shehbaz.Punjab Assembly Public Relation Officer Abdul Qahhar Rashid told The Express Tribune that the Speaker dismissed the call attention notice under rules 62 and its sub section (1) as it did not meet the merit of said rules. He explained that Rules 62 (1) means a member, with the consent of the Speaker, call the attention of the chief minister to any matter involving the law and order situation in the province, through a ‘Call Attention Notice’.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2017.