Legislators from opposition as well as treasury benches Monday called for the production of the arrested PTI minister Ziaullah Afridi in the house. The issue was first raised by Zarin Gul of JUI-F, who on the floor of the house said that a member of the house has been arrested and asked the Speaker either he was informed in connections with the arrest of Ziaullah Afridi.
To the question of Zarin Gul, the Speaker, Asad Qaiser said that neither he was informed nor was consented before the arrest. The speaker also read out Rule 64 of the house proceeding, which is regarding the arrest of the member of the provincial assembly. Ahmad Khan Bahadar of ANP and Shiraz Mehmood Khan of PML-N were also critical of the arrest of Ziaullah Afridi without bringing it in the notice of the Speaker of provincial assembly. They said that the arrested legislator should be produced in the house to tell about reasons behind his arrest.
The parliamentary leader of ANP Sardar Hussain Babak alleged that chief minister is influencing the Ehtesab Commission to victimising political opponents. He said that they had not opposed the law, but the manner in which the political opponents are victimised is totally against the traditions of the province. He said that Ehtesab Commission has been made a joke and a minister, who was till yesterday defending the provincial government is today attributing it to Pervez Khattak Commission. He said that the government should not adopt personal likes and dislikes in accountability.
The opposition leader, Maulana Lutf-ur-Rehman said that they are not against the Ehtesab Commission and wanted the eradication of corruption. But, the impression, which is developing is totally wrong. He proposed that instead of media trial, the government should concentrate on the eradication of corruption and instead of personal enmity the arrests should be made according to the proceedings of the Act.
In response to the scathing criticism of the Sardar Hussain Babak and Oppositon Leader, Maulana Lutf-ur-Rehman, Provincial Ministers for Education, Mohammad Atif Khan and Minister for Public Health Engineering (PHE), Shah Farman said that the provincial government is ready for removing of flaws in the provincial Ehtesab Commission Act to dispel the impressions of media trial and political victimisation in proceedings against corrupt.
The provincial ministers said that the Act was passed for the eradication of corruption and if the opposition has identified some flaws, then it could be removed. They said that a meeting for dispelling the impression of political victimisation and media trial is being convened on Tuesday and they are inviting parliamentary leaders of all opposition parties to attend the meeting and present their proposals in it. Arbab Akbar Hayat of PML-N asked the speaker to use his powers and bring the honourable member in the house as so far corruption has not proved against him.
Nighat Yasmin Orakzai of PPP said that Speaker is the custodian of the house and how Ehtesab Commission could arrest a member without his permission. The government, she said should not be run as one-man show and extreme steps like arrests should be made on basis of solid proofs.
Bakht Baidar of QWP said that Ziaullah Afridi is the member of the house and tomorrow his presence in the house will restore the prestige of the house. He said that the provincial government had declared him as thief two years back, but it had presented no proofs in courts in this regard. The Speaker asked the government for inviting parliamentary leaders of all opposition parties and lawyers to the meeting of the committee constituted in this regard and welcoming of all kind of proposals for bringing improvement in the Ehtesab Commission. The opposition leader said that the matter should be taken seriously and media trial should be avoided while Sardar Hussain Babak said that the presence of all parliamentary leaders is must in the meeting regarding reforms in the Ehtesab Commission.
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