Privilege motion filed against Khawaja Asif in NA

Fawad Chaudhry says PML-N lawmaker misquoted PTI govt regarding Nawaz’s health

ISLAMABAD: Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday filed a privilege motion in the National Assembly against Pakistan Muslim   League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif for “misquoting the comments made by  the  government about Nawaz Sharif’s health”.

Fawad maintained that the PML-N leader misquoted the   government in the National Assembly which was tantamount to a breach of the privilege of the entire house. He stressed that the matter should be discussed by the Committee on Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.

“Khawaja Muhammad Asif quoted the representatives of the  federal  government and those of the government of Punjab, as saying ‘let Nawaz Sharif  die’, which is a vivid misrepresentation of truth and of  the decision of the Honorable Islamabad High Court regarding the  interim  bail of Nawaz Sharif on medical grounds,” read the motion.

The motion further pointed out that the detailed judgement  by  the  IHC “negates the statement of Khawaja Asif, which he made on the floor of the House and that it is clear breach of the privilege of the entire House.”

Asif  took  the  floor of the National Assembly after the government granted Nawaz a “one-time” permission to travel  abroad  for  medical  treatment  for  four  weeks  provided he submits an indemnity bond to the tune of Rs7-7.5 billion. Asif had accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government of resorting to political vendetta against the opposition and urged it to allow former prime minister Nawaz to go abroad for treatment.

Lashing out at the government decision, Asif said that an  indemnity  bond to the tune of Rs7-7.5 billion was nothing but the government must not go blind with its politics of revenge and should allow Nawaz  to get medical treatment abroad.

“Nawaz Sharif does not want to leave the country. But his doctors told him that they cannot treat him here any further. When Nawaz Sharif  agreed to leave the country, the government started conspiring against him,” Asif charged.

He  warned that if anything happened to the former prime minister,   the government would be held responsible. “Nawaz Sharif is suffering from five to six diseases. I am sure he will return to Pakistan after his  treatment abroad,” he added.

Reacting to a  hard-hitting  speech, Fawad Chaudhry in a tweet on  Friday called out Khawaja  Asif  for  ‘lying’  in the National Assembly  and announced that he intended to move a privilege motion against  the senior PML-N  lawmaker for making wrong statement.