ISLAMABAD: A National Assembly panel on Wednesday took strong exception to the arrest of a Member National Assembly by the Anti-Corruption Establishment, Punjab back in 2022 without taking prior permission of speaker National Assembly under the Rules of Procedure.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges, chaired by Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon discussed various matters raised by the MNAs.
The committee discussed the question of privilege referred by the speaker National Assembly under Rule 101 of the Rules of Procedure regarding the arrest of Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf, MNA from NA-148 on December 27, in the case of FIR under sections 419, 420, 466, 468, 471 PPC read with section 5 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947 by Police Station, Directorate General of Anti-Corruption Establishment, Punjab, Lahore.
Under rule 103 of the said Rules, the committee observed that the approval of the Speaker is required before the arrest of an MNA. However, in this case, prior approval of the Speaker has not been obtained under Rule 103 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.
The committee pended the question of privilege till its next meeting with the direction that the officials, including Anwar Shah, Abdul Qayyum, Mian Munir, and Saifullah Watto should be suspended and inquiry should be initiated against them.
The committee also directed that the chief secretary of Government of Punjab and the secretary Services and General Administration of Punjab should attend the next meeting of the committee in person.
The committee also directed that the chairman Anti-Corruption Establishment, Punjab should attend the next meeting of the committee in person.
The panel expressed its displeasure on the illegal detainment of the member of the National Assembly without intimation to the Speaker of the National Assembly and directed that all reports in this regard should be submitted to the committee within one month.
On the question of privilege raised by Makhdoom Syed Samiul Hassan Gillani, MNA regarding unprofessional and derogatory conduct of deputy commissioner Bahawalpur, deputy director Food, Bahawalpur, assistant commissioner Ahmedpur Sharqia (East) and Asif Khan, Inspector Food, Uch Sharif, Tehsil Ape, District Bahawalpur, the committee directed that Asif Khan should immediately be transferred from his present posting and an inquiry should be initiated against him.
The committee also directed to constitute vigilance committees at the provincial level to take action against the culprits. The committee pended the question of privilege till its next meeting.
On the question of privilege raised by MNA Raza Rabbani Khar regarding not responding to the telephone calls by Deputy Director, Wildlife Department, Dera Ghazi Khan Mohammad Hussain Gashkori, the committee directed the secretary, Forestry, Wildlife and Fishries Department, Punjab, to transfer the said officer from his present posting and should be made as officer on special duty (OSD) and an inquiry should be initiated against him with a report to the committee within 15 days.
The meeting was attended by Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Muhammad Sajjad, Chaudhary Armaghan Subhani, Azhar Qayyum Nahra, Mohsin Nawaz Ranjha, Syed Imran Ahmed Shah, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Ramesh Lal, Nawab Sher, Asiya Azeem, Makhdoom Syed Samiul Hassan Gillani, Sardar Riaz Mahmood Khan Mazari, Chaudhary Muhammad Ashraf, Sardar Muhammad Irfan Dogar, Raza Rabbani Khar, and Shah Zain Bugti.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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