Arrest of MPAs not acceptable: Elahi

Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi has condemned the arrest and “torture” of MPA Mian Aslam Iqbal, his brother and several other members of the provincial assembly.

Talking to the media on Thursday, he said “police violence against the elected representatives” was a matter of grave concern.

The matter of arresting of members of the Punjab Assembly would be discussed in the House, Elahi said.

As a custodian of the house, he said, he could not remain silent on the arrest of the members of the assembly.

He alleged that Punjab had been turned into a police state.

“Police are being used illegally. Members of the assembly have been unjustifiably arrested by the police, and their families have been harassed. The inhumane treatment meted out to a PTI leader Umar Ayub Khan is also very condemnable,” said the Punjab Assembly speaker.

He alleged that police tortured the elected representatives and PTI workers “on the orders of Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz”.

“At the behest of bogus and unconstitutional rulers, the police resorted to cruelty and brutality,” said Parvez Elahi.

He further said that the government could not suppress the rising voices of the people by force.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2022.