NA speaker seeks Law Ministry opinion on Zardari’s production order

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaisar sought time regarding issuance of the production order of former President Asif Ali Zardari for the budget session as he sought legal advice from the Law Ministry on this issue and final decision would be taken on the basis of legal opinion of the Law Ministry.

A delegation of the opposition, comprising PPP leaders, Syed Khursheed Shah and former Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani, along with senior leader of the PML-N and Chairman Senate’s Defense Committee Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, held meeting with NA speaker here on Thursday and demanded for issuance of the production orders of former President Asif Ali Zardari, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Moshin Dawar and Ali Wazir.

Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar told the opposition leaders that he was performing his duties as per law and constitution and being a custodian of the House all the members of the National Assembly were being equally treated.

On the demand of the production orders of the legislators, the speaker told the delegation that he will take the decision on the issuance of the production orders as per law. “The consultation with the legal experts on the issuance of production order for former President Asif Ali Zardari is going on and the decision in this regard would be taken on the basis of legal opinion,” he told the opposition delegation. He also told them so far the production order was not issued for any one.

Following the meeting with the opposition delegation, NA Speaker Asad Qaisar referred the issue of the production orders of the detained MNAs to the Ministry of Law to seek the legal advice and the final decision on issuance or not will be taken on the basis of legal opinion of the Ministry of Law and Justice.