Daily Times

Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has summoned the Inspector General of Punjab Police Shoaib Dastgir to appear in person in the committee of the House over a privilege motion moved by none other than Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari himself.

The Deputy Speaker of the largest House of the country on Monday moved a privilege motion against the police over an incident in which Mazari along with his staff wasn’t allowed to go inside the Chief Minister’s Secretariat at GOR-I by the security officials deputed there. As per the details, Deputy Speaker Mazari moved the motion against the police right after the start of the proceedings on Monday and no other business of the House was taken on the day.

“I went to meet CM at GOR-I on 26th January along with my staff member but the police stopped me at the gate and said that my staff member can’t enter the CM Secretariat,” said Mazari in his privilege motion. I asked the police officials deputed there to search my official vehicle and my staff because it doesn’t carry any arms but they flatly refused, he added. The behavior of the police staff was very rude and insulting with me despite knowing that I am the Deputy Speaker and the Custodian of this august House, said Mazari. He was of the view that the efforts of our government to make a Model Police are going waste as we cannot see any better attitude of the police. They are treating an elected custodian of the House this why and I wondered how they treat a common man, the Deputy Speaker questioned. As the Deputy Speaker read his motion, the whole House was unanimous including the treasury, opposition and Speaker Elahi to summon the IG Police over the issue as it is the matter of sanctity of the august House. The House was also resonated with the slogans of ‘Shame Shame’. PMLN- lawmaker Samiullah Khan, who is also a member of the Privilege Committee of the House, said that it is the question of the sanctity of the house and IG must reach the Punjab Assembly before the session ends. MPA Ch Akhtar Ali, who is the Chairman of the Privilege Committee of the House, also lashed out at the attitude of the police officers. We summon the police officials in the committee but they ignore us, he said. Former Speaker Rana Iqbal, former Deputy Speaker Rana Mashood also condemned the attitude of the police while demanding a stern action against the department the same day. Senior government ministers including Samiullah Chaudhry and Dr Akhtar Malik also supported Mazari over the issue. Law Minister Raja Basharat apologized to Deputy Speaker over the issue and said that he will ensure whatever the decision is made by the Chair and the House.

Taking action over the issue, Speaker Elahi said that it is not a personal issue of Deputy Speaker as it is the matter of sanctity of this House. “I being the custodian of this House make it clear that this House cannot be run this way,” Speaker ruled. Elahi also constituted a committee of the House under his supervision that comprised of Law Minister Raja Basharat, Deputy Speaker Mazari and PML-N senior lawmaker Malik Nadeem Kamran over the issue. Elahi summoned the IG to the committee in one hour and said that no other business will be taken until IG comes in person. Speaker adjourned the session for one hour while summoning the IG to the House.

The IG wasn’t available in the city but Additional IG Inam Ghani reached the Punjab Assembly just within an hour to appear in the committee but it was not acceptable to the MPAs. As the session resumed after an hour, Speaker told the House that IG is in Islamabad right now for official meeting and Law Minister has talked to him. “We have summoned the IG tomorrow again before the session at 1:30 and no other business of the House will be taken until the matter is resolved,” the Speaker gave his ruling. The House will meet again on Tuesday at 3 PM and no other business would be taken if the matter isn’t resolved by then.