ISLAMABAD: At least 10 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Members of National Assembly (MNAs), who were arrested from the premises of Parliament House in a late-night raid for allegedly violating newly-enacted public gathering law, were brought to the Lower House of Parliament on Thursday after their production orders were issued by Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
In the crackdown on Monday, the law enforcement agencies and “masked men” — after late night (3: 00 am) — allegedly entered the Parliament House and whisked away at least 10 lawmakers of the jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party.
A number of cases were filed against PTI leaders, which also include the reported attack on police at Chungi No 26 — which turned into a battleground as PTI workers and law enforcers clashed.
The arrests drew scathing criticism from the former ruling party but also from the speaker as well as some members of the treasury benches.
Subsequently, Sadiq suspended five security staff, including the lower house of parliament's Sergeant-at-Arms Muhammad Ishfaq Ashraf, for four months over failure to ensure the house's security.
He also issued production orders of the PTI MNAs in police custody — Malik Aamir Dogar, Zain Hussain Qureshi, Waqas Akram, Sher Afzal Marwat, Muhammad Ahmed Chatta, Zubair Khan Wazir, Owais Haider Jakhar, Syed Shah Ahad Ali Shah, Naseem Ali Shah, and Muhammad Yusuf Khan.
Following the orders, the federal police presented them in the lower house of parliament on Thursday amid high security. A heavy contingent of police also reached the House along with the detainees.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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