Production order rules to be amended

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Law and Justice has decided to amend the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly and Senate regarding the issuance of production orders of members of the NA and Senate.

A private news channel quoting sources reported that amendments will be made in the Rule 108 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the NA, 2007 and Section 84 of the Rules of Procedure of the Senate.

The federal government is going to change the National Assembly and Senate production order rules so that production orders cannot be issued for MNAs and Senators accused of corruption.

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs has said that in a few weeks a draft amendment will be prepared for Section 108 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. Under Section 108, the speaker of the assembly or the chairperson of a committee can issue a production order for MNAs who have been arrested. The MNAs are then able to come to the assembly for a session or meeting. The government wants to change this rule so that it excludes MNAs who have been arrested in corruption cases.

Moreover, the amendment draft will be prepared in the next few weeks. Changes in the rules will restrict parliamentarians involved in corruption cases from getting production orders.