ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Thursday, made it compulsory for the Speaker to issue the production order of an arrested member and authorised him/her (the Speaker) to declare Parliament Lodges or any other suitable place in Islamabad as sub-jail for the arrested member.
The Lower House of Parliament made this by approving some amendments in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.
The National Assembly also approved an amendment in Rule 293, under which, the concerned authority shall immediately inform the Speaker about reasons before the arrest of a member.
Federal Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif moved amendments in Rule 108 of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the House for approval. Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Murtaza Javed Abbasi also moved amendments in sub-rules 4, and 5 of Rule 293. The House approved amendments without opposition from any member.
According to the amendment, in Rule 108, “the Speaker or Chairman of a Committee shall summon a member in custody on the charge of a non-boilable offence to attend a sitting or sittings of the Assembly or meeting of a Committee of which he is a member, if he considers his presence necessary.”
Disputes related to Senate polls: Amendment to ‘Rule 9’ in rules of business proposed
According to another amendment moved by Khawaja Asif, “The Speaker shall declare parliament lodges or any other suitable place in Islamabad as sub-jail for detention of member.”
According to an amendment moved by Federal Minister Abbasi, Substitution of rule 103 and rule 106 of the Rule of Procedure. -(i) “When a member has to be arrested on a criminal charge or for a criminal offence or has to be detained under an under an executive order, the committing judge, magistrate or executive authority, as the case may be, shall immediately seek approval of the Speaker indicating the reasons for the arrest or detention, as the case may be, and after such arrest, detention or when a member is sentenced to imprisonment by a court of law, the committing judge, magistrate or executive authority, as the case may be shall intimate the place of detention or imprisonment of the member in the appropriate form set out in the Fourth Schedule.(ii) No member shall be arrested within the precincts of the Assembly.”
Speaking on the occasion, Asif said it is the right of every member to represent his constituency in the house.
Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri said that the production order should be compulsory for every member as parliament is equal for all members. She said that all the members have equal rights in this regard. We should not differentiate among the members, she said.
Opposition member Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali also supported the amendments. He said that the speaker should issue a production order for South Waziristan MNA Ali Wazir.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
Comments
Comments are closed.