Plea demanding reversion or limiting production orders for politicians submitted in LHC

LAHORE: An application has been submitted in the Lahore High Court entailing censure of parliamentary production orders being issued to political leaders in the provincial and national assemblies, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

The appeal mentions by name the leader of the opposition in the parliament and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif along with former President of Pakistan and current member of the National Assembly, current co-chariman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari and demands their production orders to be halted or revoked.

Leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N stalwarts Rana Sana Ullah and Khwaja brothers Salman and Saad have also been named in the beneficiaries of the law.

The petition also calls for stoppage of any kind of production orders being issued for Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) representatives in the Parliament, Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar.

The appeal argues that the law can only be set in motion when important parliamentary decisions like the budget or passing of an important law are being undertaken.

It demands that the production orders be revoked for normal day-to-day national assembly proceedings.

Earlier, Opposition parties submitted an application with the secretariat of the National Assembly (NA), seeking production orders for five MNAs hailing from opposition benches on Monday (yesterday).

The application signed by Shehbaz Sharif, Khurram Dastagir, Khawaja Asif, Rana Tanveer, and others, pleaded the Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser to issue production orders for former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, Rana Sanaullah and Saad Rafique.

The production orders for Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leaders Mohsin Dawar and Ali Wazir were also requested.

Earlier on July 2, PM Imran Khan had ordered to bring amendments to the parliamentary procedure of issuing production orders, sources claimed.

The prime minister was observed saying that money launderers and financially corrupt individuals should not be facilitated via production orders, sources revealed.

Earlier, an appeal submitted to the Supreme Court of Pakistan had challenged the production orders of opposition leaders and politicians arrested over corruption allegations.

The application filed in the SC had challenged the production orders issued by Speakers of the National and Provincial assemblies.