Ten PTI MNAs arrested from the Parliament House’s premises in a late-night raid earlier this week were produced in the National Assembly on Thursday after the production orders were issued.
Just after 3am on Tuesday, plainclothesmen had stormed the Parliament House — disconnecting the power supply and barging into the building’s Services Branch — to whisk away at least 10 PTI legislators.
In light of the subsequent outcry by the PTI in the NA, Sadiq suspended five security staff for four months and transferred five officials of the Capital Development Authority — serving in the assembly on deputation — for disconnecting the building’s power during the ‘raid’.
A four-member committee headed by Additional Secretary Iftikhar Ahmad was been constituted to probe security arrangements and the “unauthorised movements” in the parliament.
A day ago, Sadiq had issued production orders for the MNAs in police custody — namely Sher Afzal Marwat (NA-41), Malik Amir Dogar (NA-49), Ahmed Chattha (NA-66), Zain Qureshi (NA-50), Sheikh Waqas Akram (NA-109), Zubair Khan Wazir (NA-42), Awais Haider Jakhar (NA-182), Syed Shah Ahad Ali Shah (NA-33), Nasim Ali Shah (NA-39) and Yousuf Khan Khattak (NA-36).
Subsequently, the Islamabad police presented them in the NA today amid high security.
In a separate development, the 10 PTI lawmakers were sent on judicial remand after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended their physical custody.
The late-night ‘raid’
On Monday night — a day after the PTI held its Sangjani power show — there were confirmed reports about the arrest of firebrand leader Sher Afzal Marwat, Waziristan MNA Zubair Khan, and lawyer Shoaib Shaheen, who was taken into custody from his office in G-9.
At least 10 MNAs arrested included Marwat, Zubair, Chief Whip in NA Malik Amir Dogar, Sheikh Waqqas Akram, Bannu lawmaker Nasim Ali Shah, Zain Qureshi, Ahmed Chattha, Awais Haider Jakhar, Syed Shah Ahad Ali Shah and Yousuf Khattak.
After being freed by the Islamabad police on Tuesday, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan clarified that he had surrendered himself for arrest when Marwat was taken into custody.
Sources told Dawn that a well-equipped police contingent, led by Senior Superintendent of Police Operations Arsalan Jahanzeb, had been deployed outside Parliament House for hours before some unmarked vehicles arrived on the scene. This was followed by the disconnection of electricity to the building.
Subsequently, MNAs Zain Qureshi, Amir Dogar, Sheikh Waqas Akram, and Nasim Ali Shah — along with others — were brought out from Parliament House and handed over to the police for legal action.
Three of the four vehicles subsequently left the premises and the MNAs were bundled into different cars.
After this episode, the power supply was restored and the “under custody” MNAs were brought out of the building through the Cabinet Division gate, where they were “rearrested” by the police. The detained lawmakers were later moved to the Central Investigation Agency Centre.
More to follow
