PTI Senator Aon Abbas speaks in Senate; Ejaz Chaudhry still absent despite production order – Pakistan

PTI Senator Aon Abbas Buppi was produced before the Senate on Saturday, while his fellow lawmaker Ejaz Chaudhry could not be presented, despite Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani issuing their production orders yesterday.

The Senate chairman had issued production orders for PTI Senators Buppi and Chaudhry yesterday, instructing the authorities to ensure their presence in today’s Senate session.

At the outset of his speech, Senator Buppi thanked Gilani for his “principled stance”, recalling that the Senate chairman had said not to preside over the proceedings if both PTI senators were not produced before the House today.

Buppi also appreciated Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar for his “stand”, saying “some of the hardships and oppression” against him started easing after that.

During Thursday’s Senate session, PTI lawmakers had registered a strong protest as Opposition Leader Syed Shibli Faraz raised the issue of Bappi’s arrest from his Multan residence and alleged manhandling.

Subsequently, the law minister informed the upper house of parliament that the PTI senator had been arrested by the Bahawalpur police in a case registered by the Punjab Wildlife Department for illegally hunting of Chinkara deer in Cholistan.

As Senator Faraz claimed that the police had resorted to vandalism during the arrest and did not show a warrant, the law minister said he had the same concerns about the arrest but asserted that the action was taken as per the law.

On the other hand, chairman Gilani expressed his displeasure over Senator Chaudhry not being produced before the Senate, as ordered by him a day ago.

Yesterday’s production order issued for Chaudhry, who is imprisoned at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail, was the third one. None of the previous two orders could be implemented.

In January, Gilani issued a production order for the PTI senator, who has been incarcerated for around 20 months, so that he could attend the Senate session on January 14. However, Chaudhry failed to appear in the Senate session, where opposition lawmakers held placards with pictures of the missing senator.

More to follow