Saad Rafique’s non-production in NA

ISLAMABAD: The opposition in the National Assembly and the Senate Friday protested non-issuance of orders for production of PML-N MNA Khawaja Saad Rafique in the House and staged walkouts.

In the National Assembly, government's ally and Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal also joined the walkout saying he was disappointed with the government over non-issuance of Saad Rafique’s production orders.

Saad Rafique, the PML-N fire-brand parliamentarian who along with his brother Salman Rafique was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Monday following cancellation of his bail by the Lahore High Court, has not been able to attend the ongoing session of the lower house of Parliament.

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif and other opposition leaders have also been raising voice both inside and outside of Parliament for Saad Rafique’s production in the House. Raising the issue, Sardar Akhtar Mengal said non-issuance of Saad Rafique’s production orders had disappointed him. “I cannot sit in the House which acts more like a ‘Mughal Darbar’ than the assembly,” he said, adding, "the situation would not improve as long as power rests with some other people."

Mengal said there should not be two opinions about the fact that over 30 workers of his party were martyred when the PML-N was in power but still he would press for issuance of production orders for Saad Rafique. “Today, we once again request you to issue Saad Rafique’s production orders and don't compel us to continue our protest,” he told the speaker. Former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf noted that it was a matter of serious concern. “You are custodian of the House; take decisions on merit, as you’d also issued production orders of the opposition leader,” he said while addressing the speaker.

The speaker did not respond to the points of order of opposition leaders and adjourned the proceedings till Monday evening.

Maulana Jamaluddin, on a point of order, protested the arrest of naib ameer of JUI-F KP and demanded his immediate release.

Meanwhile, at the very outset of the Senate session, Opposition Leader Raja Muhammad Zafarul Haq led the opposition’s token walkout over non-issuance of Khawaja Saad Rafique’s production orders and appearance of reports in newspapers about a decision to file a case with the NAB against the father of PML-N Senator Pir Sabir Shah.

Raja Zafar condemned what he called the media trial of Pir Sabir Shah family, as the information had reached them through the media and they were neither informed nor sent any notice.

"The NAB has adopted this new method. This way people are defamed without providing them with a chance to clear their position," he said.