Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi on Thursday expressed displeasure and anger over not producing the detained MPA of Jahangir Tareen Group in the House, even though the production orders of the lawmaker were already issued a day before by the speaker himself. The session continued only for twenty-five minutes and no official business, including the question-hour, could be taken up as Elahi said that the assembly session will not proceed until the detained MPA is produced in the House.
According to the details, as the session started after a delay of more than three hours from its scheduled time, veteran parliamentarian Saeed Akbar Niwani-who is also the parliamentary leader of Tareen Group in Punjab Assembly-sought a point of order that he was given easily by the speaker. “Our member was arrested two days ago and his only crime was that he asked a non-elected member of cabinet whether he is a Muslim or Ahmadi,” said Niwani, while speaking on a point of order. He was referring towards Advisor to the PM on Interior and Accountability Mirza Shehzad Akbar, who launched an FIR against Tareen Group’s MPA Nazir Chohan after he asked about the religious beliefs of Akbar in a TV talk show. MPA Chohan was first arrested by the Lahore police and later by the FIA, while his two-day remand was also given to the investigation agency.
“Nazir Chohan was arrested because he asked about the religious beliefs of Shehzad Akbar regarding the finality of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). He can rightly ask him because Shehzad Akbar is holding one of the highest offices of the country,” Niwani said. He also added that Chohan was arrested on the behest of Shehzad Akbar and he is also directing the FIA to treat him badly in the custody. “Mr Speaker, where is Nazir Chohan in the House as you issued his production orders,” asked the seasoned parliamentarian.
PML-N MPA Pir Ashraf Rasool also spoke against Shehzad Akbar while chanting slogans against him in the House.
The whole situation perturbed Elahi, who snubbed the bureaucracy and officials for not producing Chohan in the House. “I issued his production orders yesterday. Why he was not produced here in the House. Do they want a fight with the parliament,” Speaker said in a harsh tone. “We’ll not allow anyone to become Tarzan as it is not a jungle,” Elahi added. He was of the view that the whole parliament stands firmly whenever the privilege of its member is breached because they are public representatives. “We’ll not allow the privilege of our members to be breached by the bureaucracy and we’ll teach them a lesson through a recently passed bill regarding the privileges of lawmakers,” said Elahi. According to Elahi, no legislation of the government will be passed this way. “We’ll summon the assembly session daily and only the issue of Nazir Chohan will be taken up until he is not produced here,” Elahi said. He adjourned the session to meet again on Friday at 2 PM.
Meanwhile, talking to media outside the Punjab Assembly, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Raja Basharat said that the case of MPA Nazir Chohan is serious as no one had the authority to question the beliefs of others.