Sanaullah’s production order question divides NA panel

Reviews bills for the formation of new province

ISLAMABAD: Members of the National Assembly’s (NA) Standing Committee on Law and Justice were divided over the issue of production order of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Rana Sanaullah, with PML-N and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmakers demanding its issuance while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members opposing it.

During the committee’s meeting, presided over by its chairman Riaz Fatyana, members expressed concern over Sanalullah’s arrest, with one member, PML-N’s Usman Ibrahim, asking lawmakers to be prepared to raise the issue of his production orders as a police report had been lodged against him.

Fellow PML-N lawmaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi called for the setting up of a special committee to deliberate over the issuance production order considering the increasing number of lawmakers that were being detained.

Expressing apprehension over Sanaullah’s arrest, PPP’s Nafisa Shah said that the PTI-led government’s recent actions against opposition lawmakers amounted to a witch-hunt while asking for a detailed report on the issue.

Rana Sanaullah sent on 14-day judicial remand

Meanwhile, PTI’s Ata Ullah said that the production order would not be issued until the clearance of the accusations against Sanaullah, who was arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Force on Monday for possessing large quantity of drugs.

During the meeting, bills proposed by PTI’s Ali Khan Jadoon and PML-N’s Murtaza Javed Abbasi were discussed.

Both members presented the bill for the establishment of new province which the committee decided to join.

The committee decided to consult members of the NA regarding the formation of a new province by joining Rawalpindi and Hazara Division. It also appointed committee member Masti Khel as the focal person on the issue.

Abbasi said that his bill called for the formation of a new province in south Punjab as well as turning Bahawalpur and Hazara into separate provinces.

The committee chairman said that all bills proposing the formation of new provinces would be combined, which could result in the creation of five to six new such regions.

Nafisa Shah opposed the formation of such a large number of new provinces while calling the committee’s attention to the issue of Sanaullah’s production order.