Shahid Khaqan has a tiff with NA Speaker

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi made his entry in the National Assembly (NA) on angry note staging walkout from the House after accusing the Speaker Asad Qaisar of creating hurdles in issuance of his production orders.

Speaking on a point of order on his arrival in the House along with another PML-N parliamentarian, Khawaja Saad Rafique, the former prime minister said that he was able to attend Tuesday’s proceeding on court’s orders and not on Speaker’s production orders. “What option is left for us if the Speaker who is custodian of the House creates hurdles in issuance of production orders,” Shahid Khaqan Abbasi while indulging in verbal clash with the chair said. The Speaker, however, told Abbasi that he came to the National Assembly on Tuesday on production orders issued by him. Not agreeing with the Speaker, the senior parliamentarian of PML-N said he wrote three letters to him that he should not be selective while issuing production orders and all detained members should be allowed to attend National Assembly proceedings to represent their constituencies. He regretted that the Speaker in his received sent through a Section Officer, said it was he to decide whether the production orders are to be issued or not. “It is not your powers to prevent any member represent his voters in the House,” Abbasi said. He also referred to conduct of House by Speakers in the past including Syed Fakhar Imam, Malik Meraj Khalid and Syed Yusuf Gilani. He said Fakhar Imam quitted his seat and did not compromise on principles while Meraj Khalid and Gilani also stuck to principles and rules. “I have great respect for this chair even if do no respect your,” Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in an angry tone said, adding that they would not beg for attending proceedings of the House but it was their right.

He also condemned non issuance of production orders of PML-N member Rana Sanaullah Khan questioning as to how he could be deprived of representing his voters in the National Assembly. He pointed out that the Supreme Court while giving stay order to the Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri in his disqualification case, also observed no member could be denied of his right to represent his voters in the Parliament.

Khawaja Saad Rafique regretted delayed implementation on Speaker’s production orders. He said that he very well aware of the fact that as to who were creating hurdles in implementation of production orders. “We feel that hurdle was being creating from some powers in the centre and not from the Punjab province,” he said. He also demanded that production orders of Rana Sanaullah Khan should also be issued regardless of the fact that the case against him was fake or true. Asad Umar took strong exception to criticism unleashed by the former prime minister Shahid Khaqan against the Speaker. Speaking on a point of order, he said the PML-N member was unfair while criticising the Speaker, saying that Asad Qaisar has been conducting proceedings on principles, rules and in fair manners. He pointed out that there has been many precedents in the past in which, the speakers did not issue production orders for years.