Shibli again writes letter to Gillani for issuing production order of Ejaz Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Leader of Opposition and senior leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Shibli Faraz has again written to Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani for issuing the production order of jailed party lawmaker Ejaz Chaudhry and ensuring his presence in the House during the budget session.

The 351 session of the Senate, which is also the budget session, he wrote, has been summoned to meet on June 10, 2025, and urged the chairman Senate once again to prioritize the issuance of production orders and also ensure its implementation, facilitating the senator’s participation in the upcoming session. In a letter, a copy of which is available with The News, the opposition leader pointed out that the chairman Senate had referred the issue of non-implementation of his production orders for Senator Ejaz to the House Standing Committee on Privileges, which made a certain ruling that has hitherto not been implemented. “Since the start of the parliamentary term for the elected senators (2024-2027), my office has been writing to you about issuing production orders for Senator Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry (a copy of the letters is attached),” he wrote to the chairman Senate.

Consequently, he explained that the chairman’s office issued production orders on January 13, 2025 and March 7, 2025. (But) It is regrettable that the chairman’s orders were not executed, and frivolous reasons were provided to deny the senator’s constitutional right to participate in the proceedings, as guaranteed under Rule 84 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, 2012. This breach of privilege, he continued, was referred by the chairman’s esteemed office to the Senate Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges, where the committee chairman ruled that ‘non implementing the orders of the Senate is a serious privilege breach’ and that Rule 78 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate 2012 may be enforced against those disobeying the orders. No action has been taken in this regard yet.

The PTI Senator is presently incarcerated in the Kot Lakhpat Jail and has not been able to attend several sessions. On non-implementation of his production orders, Gillani had stayed away from presiding over Senate sessions as an unannounced mark of protest. Last time, when he issued production orders for Ejaz and Oun Abbas Bappi of the PTI on March 7, only the latter was brought to the House. He had issued a ruling and observed: “As per Rule 71 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Senate, 2012, disobedience of the orders of the chairman Senate constitutes a breach of privilege. Such disregard for parliamentary authority cannot be allowed to persist unchecked, as it threatens the institutional integrity of the Senate and the broader democratic framework.” Later, he had referred the matter to the standing committee concerned.