ISLAMABAD, SEP 12 (DNA) : The 10 arrested members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were brought to the Parliament House during an ongoing National Assembly session after the speaker issued their production orders a day ago.
The detained lawmakers, including Sheikh Waqas Akram, Zain Qureshi, Yousuf Khan, Owais Jakhar, Malik Aamir Dogar, Ahmed Chatha, Zubair Khan, Shah Ahad Khattak, Syed Naseem Ali Shah, and Sher Afzal Marwat, were escorted by a heavy contingent of police.
All arrested members were handed over to Acting Sergeant-at-Arms Farhat Abbas upon arrival. The detainees later met with Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in his chamber. “Arresting within the confines of parliament is against the law,” said the PTI MNAs.
The speaker replied that he had formed a committee to investigate the matter. The meeting was also attended by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar, Omar Ayub, and Ali Muhammad Khan.
“Why were we arrested like this, were we terrorists?” some members questioned, while others expressed dissatisfaction over the speaker’s explanations. The speaker also informed the members of the proceedings in the case so far, sources said.
The members also criticized the security officers of the assembly involved in their arrest, stating, “Those suspended are still present in plain clothes.”
They further expressed frustration at the speaker, asking him not to give them childish reasons, as the whole world saw what happened, the sources added.
MNAs sent on judicial remand
Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court sent the arrested MNAs to jail on judicial remand. Chief Justice Aamir Farooq, during the hearing, questioned if the court issued an order, would the suspects be sent on judicial remand and that this order of physical remand cannot be maintained.
The petitioner’s lawyer argued that the court should not hand over an extended physical remand, adding that the trial court did not mention any reasons for the remand in its order. Suspending the physical remand decision would leave a bad impression, said the prosecutor general.
The chief justice asked the prosecutor how he would defend the order for the physical remand. The prosecutor read out the FIRs against the suspects, and the chief justice scheduled a hearing for the case by a two-member special bench at 10am the following day.
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