Bilawal seeks production orders of Ali Wazir, Mohsin Dawar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has addressed a formal letter to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar urging him to immediately issue production orders in respect of MNAs Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar enabling them attend the House proceedings.

In a letter sent to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar on Thursday, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also said that separately he would write another letter on the “grave political and security dimensions of the issue” which he said he had refrained from raising in this letter which is only to seek issuance of production orders of the two MNAs.

Bilawal said it is almost a week since Ali Wazir was arrested on May 26, 2019 by law enforcing agencies in North Waziristan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, charged him with terrorism and given in the custody of counter terrorism authorities on physical remand for eight days.” Further it has just been reported that another MNA Mohsin Dawar sought by law enforcing agencies has appeared before Police in Bannu in connection with an FIR filed against him and it is not known whether he has been arrested or not,” he stated in a letter.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated that under Rule 103 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly whenever a member is arrested on criminal charges the authority(ies) concerned must immediately inform the Honorable Speaker, the custodian of the House.

Bilawal Bhutto mentioned that rule 105 of the Conduct of Business in the National Assembly requires that as soon as the honorable Speaker receives such information, he shall forthwith announce it to the Assembly if in session and if not in session then by circulation. “I am not sure whether the Honorable Speaker was immediately informed of the arrest of MNA Ali Wazir or about the status of case against MNA Mohisn Wazir as required under the Rules,” he stated in the letter.

However, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated in his letter when the National Assembly met the next day on Monday May 27 it was naturally expected that the Speaker would inform the members and also issue production orders of MNA Ali Wazir under the Rules so that the latter could also explain his version of the events.

“Neither the House was informed about the arrest on criminal charges of MNA Ali Wazir nor his production orders were issued. PPP leader Naveed Qamar formally raised it but his plea was ignored,” he said. Bilawal said the purpose of writing this letter is to request to Speaker to immediately issue production orders of MNA Ali Wazir provided under the Rules. “In case if in the meantime MNA Mohsin Dawar has also been arrested, his production orders should also be issued, “he said.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated that this is absolutely necessary, indeed critical, in view of the grave and far reaching implications of the arrest on charges of terrorism of Members of the House, who have actually been fighting terrorism. “Nearly a dozen family members of Ali Wazir have been martyred in fight against terrorism and it is highly worrying to charge him and Mohsin Dawar with terrorism,” he said. PPP chairman concluded the letter stating that he had refrained on purpose from commenting on the grave political and security dimensions of the issue at this point of time. “However, separately I will also forward you a brief note on it as well if needed,” he concluded.