NA passes bill making arrest of MPs difficult

After sailing through the Senate on Wednesday, the Members of Parliament Immunities and Privileges Bill, 2023 was passed by the National Assembly on Thursday through which the parliamentarians made their arrest almost impossible.

According to the salient features of the bill, now, before arresting a parliamentarian, the arresting agency had to submit a first information report of the case to the Senate chairman and the NA speaker with concrete reasons and obtain permission for the arrest beforehand.

Further, it would be compulsory for the Senate chairman and the NA speaker to issue the production order of the arrested member.

The NA session was presided over by Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

The bill was presented by Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah. After being passed by the Senate, the bill was presented in the National Assembly.

After the approval of the bill, before the arrest of a senator, the Senate chairman and before the arrest of an MNA, the NA speaker would be provided a copy of the FIR of the case.

A member of parliament could be arrested only after the permission of the Senate chairman and the NA speaker, for which any arresting department had to present solid evidence and reasons first.