Achakzai seeks K-P CM whereabouts

Demands production orders for detained MPs

ISLAMABAD:

National Assembly Opposition Leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai on Monday questioned the non-issuance of production orders for detained lawmakers and the whereabouts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi following the imposition of emergency in the province.

"You have removed a provincial government; now tell us where the K-P CM [Sohail Afridi] is and where our members of parliament have disappeared," Achakzai said while speaking on a point of order.

Sohail Afridi was leading a PTI long march when the government imposed an emergency and governor's rule in K-P on October 11. The CM was reportedly detained and shifted to an unknown location later.

Achakzai claimed that several lawmakers, including PTI's Junaid Akbar, Naseem Shah and Adil Khan Bazai, were absent from the house.

He argued that issuing production orders for detained parliamentarians was the speaker's responsibility, even if a lawmaker was accused of a serious offence. He said he wanted to see his party's members present in the House and given an opportunity to speak.

The opposition leader said he was not seeking any personal favour from the speaker but wanted free and fair elections. He maintained that lawmakers should not be arrested or subjected to proceedings for statements made inside parliament.

"If members are not allowed to speak, what purpose will parliament serve?" he asked.

Citing a historical example, Achakzai said that even a king who had needed five members of parliament around 600 years ago had his request respected by the speaker.

He called for lawmakers, including Sanaullah Mastikhel and Kundi, to be given an opportunity to speak. The government, he added, could enact whatever legislation it wanted but would also have to face the consequences.

Jailed abroad

The National Assembly was informed that 21,647 Pakistanis are imprisoned in 71 countries, while circular debt in the power and gas sectors has reached Rs1.675 trillion and Rs3.631 trillion, respectively, by June 30. The disclosures came during the question hour.

According to a written response from the foreign ministry, the United Arab Emirates has the highest number of imprisoned Pakistanis at 5,297, followed by Saudi Arabia with 4,775 and India with 738.

Pakistani nationals are facing cases involving fraud, drug smuggling, sexual assault, fake visas, forged documents, murder and other offences in different countries, the ministry told the House.

The power sector's circular debt stood at Rs1.641 trillion at the end of fiscal year 2024-25 before rising by Rs34 billion to Rs1.675 trillion by June 30, 2026, according to the Power Division.

The division attributed part of the increase to outstanding payments owed by K-Electric for electricity supplied through the national grid. The matter of recovering these dues is pending before a court.