Ruckus in National assembly over Durrani’s arrest

ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Thursday adjourned the session of the house until tomorrow, following the ruckus by the opposition members over arrest of Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani.

Durrani was taken into custody from Islamabad by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over accumulation of assets beyond known sources of income.

Opposition parties reacted strong over the arrest of speaker Sindh Assembly chanted desks and slogans in the house and later gathered in front of the speaker chair.

Asad Qaiser tried to control over the situation, but adjourned the session of the house after failing in doing so.

Earlier in the session, Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood, while responding to Khursheed Shah’s remarks on the floor questioned why the PPP and PML-N failed in amending National Accountability Bureau (NAB)’s laws during their respective tenures of rule.

He relayed that NAB chairman was appointed after mutual consent of the PPP and PML-N in the past, but now they are shouting.

He said every nation has an accountability process and no one has any objection to accountability and added, their senior minister Aleem Khan was also taken into custody by the NAB in an ongoing probe.

Read more: Accountability court approves Durrani’s physical remand until March 1

“NAB doesn’t take instructions from the prime minister,” Mahmood contented.

‘Arrest of elected representatives is condemn-able’

Condemning the arrest, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) veteran leader Khursheed Shah lashed out at the accountability watchdog for “dragging away an elected member of assembly” while the probe was still under way.

“The Parliament is superior to all other institutions, and all institutions should be independent and worthy of respect,” Shah continued.

The leader announced to protest the arrest at all levels against the arrest of Agha Siraj Durrani.