Daily Times

Punjab Assembly made history after Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Salman Rafique, presently facing the National Accountability Bureau’s investigation in management/developers of Paragon City, was produced in the House on its first production order issued by Punjab Assembly Speaker Pervez Elahi.

“I, Pervez Elahi, speaker Provincial Assembly of the Punjab consider presence of Khawaja Salman Rafique necessary during the current session, therefore exercise of the powers conferred on my by rule 79-A of the Rules of Procedure of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 1997, I hereby summon Khawaja Salman Rafique to attend the ongoing session at the Assembly chambers. You are directed to produce him at the commencement of each sitting of the current session before the Sergeant-at-Arms who shall, after the conclusion of sitting, deliver him into your custody,” he said.

The House resonated with slogans “Sher aya sher aya” (the lion has arrived) as Salman Rafique entered the House. However, Salman termed the issuance of production order as Assembly’s victory. He stressed for the protection of human basic rights adding that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf should come forward for the stability of the parliament and for protecting the basic human rights if it deems the previous governments had done nothing for it.

“The investigating institution should perform its work and we would have to make the judicial system stronger. I used to come in this august House with my mother when she was a Member of the Provincial Assembly back in 1985 and the memories of that time are still fresh in my mind,” Salman said while adding that he himself returned to this house for the third time and had lots of respect for it. He further added that he is reading the books on Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and other related to history while he added that he is also writing his memoirs as well.

“We will keep serving the people in future as well,” Salman Rafique while also chanting the slogans of “Nawaz Sharif Zindabad”, “Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad”, “Democracy Zindabad” and all the political parties Zindabad.

Later, Salman went to the chamber of Pervez Elahi to pay his gratitude over his production orders.

The provincial law minster Raja Basharat said Speaker Pervez Elahi played its vital role adding the PTI government will do whatever it needs to make stronger the democracy. Expressing seriousness by the political parties will strengthen the democracy. They paved the way for issuance of production order merely to prevail democracy. This house protects the rights of any member, he vowed.

After that Treasury took PTI Momina Waheed’s resolution out-of-turn and later got it passed with majority that sought amendment in constitution and election laws for declaring “vacant seat” of that member if he/she does not take oath for the membership of assembly till three months of being elected in the elections. This conduct should be prevented so that the people could not be deprived of their representation.

During question answer session, Elahi warned the food minister Samiullah Chaudhary for thinking before giving false statements here. He snubbed him over misleading the House by verbally committing that it is the policy of his department. PMLN’s Mian Naseer also grilled Chaudhry Zaheeruddin minister for Public Prosecution, who was responding the queries on behalf of minister Auqaf & Religious Affairs at his absence, over his incorrect information about occupation of Auqaf buildings.

Naseer pointed out that department trickily replied his queries saying at one side that no one has occupied the land while at another place admitting that proceedings are being carried out against those who occupied the land. He said which answer should be taken serious. He brought into the notice of House that actual thing is that employees of Augaf had occupied the several shops and had rented them to other parties. He said Auqaf is being paid little rent while staff itself collecting huge amount losing of millions to national exchequer.

The session will resume again today (Wednesday).

Published in Daily Times, January 16^th 2019.