Speaker orders Shahbaz’s production in NA on 17th

ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser Saturday passed orders for production of detained Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif in the National Assembly on October 17 to attend the session.

Letters have been written to the Punjab chief secretary, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman and other officials concerned. The letters have been received by the departments concerned. Shahbaz is likely to be flown to Islamabad from Lahore Tuesday evening to attend the proceedings at 11am on Wednesday.

Well-placed parliamentary sources told this reporter that Asad Qaiser had turned down a request of his predecessor Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to facilitate Shahbaz’s participation in a meeting of parliamentary group of opposition members at the Parliament House on Tuesday.

The Speaker contended that his jurisdiction was limited to Shahbaz’s production in the assembly session. It has been learnt that a formal letter expressing the Speaker’s refusal to accept the demand will be dispatched to Sardar Ayaz Sadiq tomorrow (Monday).

The sources pointed out that the National Assembly will remain in session for three or more days though it’s the Speaker’s prerogative to prorogue the session any time.

The sources said no formal information had been given to the Speaker’s Secretariat by the government about Prime Minister Imran Khan’s participation in the upcoming session. The PML-N members and Shahbaz Sharif will speak on the occasion.

Shahbaz will give an account of the circumstances in which he was arrested by the NAB.

PML-N sources told this reporter that Shahbaz was likely to consign his reconciliatory tone to the dustbin of history.

The PML-N sources disclosed that 42 members of the party would take part in the discussion on the matter.

Five members of the MMA and seven other groups, including independents, have indicated their participation in the discussion. The PPP leaders will also take part in discussion.

Bilawal Zardari is expected to attend the sitting and deliver speech.

The ambiance in the house could be tense and uproarious scenes couldn’t be ruled out in the course of discussion.

State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Engineer Ali Muhammad Khan would bring a resolution for discussion on the country’s current political situation. The state minister will open the debate.

Strict security measures will be in place in and around the Parliament House before and during the session.