Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday adopted a motion authorising the speaker to set up a 20-member committee in consultation with the Senate chairman and leaders of the parliamentary parties to review the NAB Ordinance, 1999 and recommend amendments.

The committee would present its report within three months of its notification. The motion was moved by Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid.

Answering a question raised by Iqbal Muhammad Ali of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said he would talk to the Sindh Rangers director general and the Sindh government about harassment and arrest of MQM workers. He sought time for this purpose and said that he would respond to this issue in the House shortly. Speaking on a point of order, Ali said the MQM was being pushed to the wall. He said that an MQM office was raided in Karachi on Tuesday and several party workers were arrested.

Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai postponed his speech in the National Assembly on the request of Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, sources told Daily Times. Achakzai wanted to speak on matters related to national security and had brought with him a number of documents for referencing. He asked the speaker to let him speak, but the speaker sent him a chit inscribed with the words “please no”.

The interior minister would have responded to Achakzai had he been allowed to speak, sources said. During a chat with journalists after the session, Achakzai said that he came to the National Assembly fully prepared for his speech. He said, “I did not say anything wrong about the security institutions in my previous speech.” He said the speaker prorogued the session before time and adjourned it indefinitely.

The House adopted a motion to grant extension to the sub-committee of the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms for presentation of its report.