National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has declared rooms 303-C and 505-J at Parliament Lodges as sub-jails, according to reports. The move follows production orders for two PTI lawmakers, Sanaullah Masti Khel and Dawar Khan Kundi, who have been shifted to Parliament Lodges in Islamabad.
Barrister Gohar raised several concerns during a meeting with the speaker and urged that the detained members be brought to the National Assembly. “Our members are in custody. They should be brought to the House,” he told Sadiq. The speaker said he would seek legal advice on the production orders.
Party concerns over contact with KP leadership
Gohar said the party had not been in contact with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi since 11 October. He added that he was facing baseless cases and that the party had also been unable to reach its MPAs and the Speaker of the KP Assembly.
Interior minister’s claims on terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi claimed that Afridi had said he could not support the fight against terrorism because he could not bear the political cost. Addressing a joint sitting of Parliament, Naqvi said dozens of terrorism incidents had taken place in the province and that the federal government had repeatedly tried to engage the provincial government.
Naqvi said an Apex Committee meeting held in Peshawar in February this year had been difficult to convene. According to the interior minister, the meeting was meant to send a message that terrorism would be fought collectively. He urged lawmakers to examine the press release issued after the meeting to see what had been stated.
