Qaiser to decide on Saad’s production order

Asif demands of NA speaker to issue the order for detained PML-N MNA

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader and MNA Khawaja Asif has once again demanded production orders for arrested MNA Khawaja Saad Rafique in the National Assembly session on Monday.

Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser while responding to Asif said he would decide the matter of issuance of production orders according to rules of the House and after seeking legal opinion.

The speaker also assured the PML-N senior leader that he would not disappoint him on the issue and asked him to calm down. Asif said they were agitating on the issue since the previous sessions but the production order of detained MNA was not issued.

“In the Punjab Assembly, rules of business were changed for issuance of production orders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Aleem Khan who was in NAB custody,” claimed the former foreign minister.

He also reminded the assembly of past instances where production orders had been issued such as the first time for current Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed were issued during the 1993-96 government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) when he was in Bahawalpur jail.

“This was the period when political hostility between the government and the opposition was at its peak,” he recalled explaining that the speaker had powers of a sovereign house to issue the production orders and the rules of business, past rulings, traditions and precedents also gave him authority to take decision on the matter.

The PML-N leader added his party had already taken up the matter with the speaker in his chamber and requested the chair to give an early ruling on the matter so that his party could act on its next strategy and uncertainty could end for them.

At one point, Qaiser said he would give equal opportunity to backbenchers to speak in the house, which drew applause of the members sitting in the back rows.

Meanwhile, Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mehmood Qureshi told the National Assembly that Pakistan's policy on Israel is consistent as always and no change has been made in it.

Responding to the speech of parliamentary leader of Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA-F) Asad Mehmood, he said the government was ready to brief parliament on its foreign policy on a short notice.

Over heated exchange of words between Federal Minster for Inter Provincial Coordination Dr Fehmida Mirza and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPPP) MNA Munawar Talpur, the minister stressed that members from both treasury and opposition benches should show patience and contribute in preserving sanctity of the House.

“Talpur was heard with patience and therefore, he should have shown the same spirit when the honourable member from the treasury bench was responding to the allegations levelled against her,” he said.

Senior PPP leader Naveed Qamar criticised the arrest of Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durani and termed his arrest an attack on democracy and parliament.

Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda also informed the house that his ministry had saved Rs18 billion from the allocated amount for the construction of Diamer Basha and Mohmand Dam.

"We could have escalated the construction price by 15% under PEPRA Rules but by not doing so we directly saved Rs18 billion and indirectly Rs63 billion," the minister said.

Prime Minster Imran Khan would be apprised of this development during a special briefing and his permission would be sought to construct Naulong Dam in Balochistan with that money, Vawda informed the house.