Opposition MPAs protest against arrest, FIR

The opposition staged a strong protest in Punjab Assembly on Monday over non-issuance of production orders of Opposition Leader Hamza Shehbaz, registration if an FIR against some leaders and workers, as well as the arrest of MPA Khawaja Imran Nazir.

As the assembly session started, the lawmakers of PML-N stood up and chanted slogans against Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar.

The opposition MPAs were also carrying placards inscribed with anti-government slogans. They left their benches and staged a sit-in in front of the speaker’s dais. PML-N MPAs Azma Bukhari and Tariq Masih Gill were among the most vocal protesters.

The session had started after a delay of more than two hours from the scheduled time with Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in the chair.

The government business couldn’t be taken up by the House due to the pandemonium created by the opposition lawmakers.

The PML-N MPAs also tore copies of the agenda during the protest.

Speaking on the occasion, PML-N MPA Samiullah Khan said the prime minister had said that he would not give the production orders for anyone despite the fact that only the speaker had the authority to issue the production orders of detained lawmakers. He said the prime minister had challenged the speaker by giving such a statement.

“The PM doesn’t meet the coalition partners during his visits to Lahore and now he has attacked Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi by giving such a statement about the production orders. Our sympathies are with the speaker over the issue,” he said. Neither democracy, nor the House could be run this way, Samiullah Khan added.

The speaker adjourned the proceedings for 10 minutes to avert the protest of the opposition, but the MPAs once again started shouting when session resumed after a prayer break.

MPA Sardar Awais Laghari said the government had beaten up poor farmers protesting in the provincial capital instead of providing them relief. “The House should be informed who is responsible for the death of farmer Ishfaq Langrial,” said Laghari while demanding the formation of a judicial commission to probe into the incident.

He added that the government had started arresting PML-N leaders ahead of a public meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) scheduled in Lahore on December 13. Why was MPA Imran Nazir arrested ahead of the public meeting? he asked.

Nazir, who is PML-N Lahore general secretary, was recently arrested by Chung police. The police also registered an FIR against PML-N leaders who staged a sit-in outside the police station where Nazir was taken. The booked leaders include MPAs Azma Bukhari, Samiullah Khan, Ghazali Butt and PML-N deputy secretary general Ataullah Tarar.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2020.