NA speaker declares parliament lodges as sub-jail for arrested PTI MNAs

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Friday declared parliament lodges as Sub-Jail for the arrested lawmakers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The decision was taken at the request of the PTI Member National Assembly.

Following the approval, the Secretariat of the lower house informed the Interior Ministry via letter about the development.

A letter addressed to the secretary of the Ministry of Interior Affairs stated that the Honorable Speaker had approved the arrangements of MNAs in the National Assembly in line Rule 108 of Procedure and Conduct of Business, 2007.

According to the reports, all arrested MNAs included Sher Afzal Marwat, Amir Dogar, Zain Qureshi, Sheikh Waqas Akram, Muhammad Ahmad Chattha, Zubair Khan, Owais Haider Jhakkar, Syed Shah Ahad Shah, Naseem Ali Shah, and Yousuf Khan will be shifted to the parliament after a legal procedure, which is expected to be completed by today.

In addition, Ayaz Sadiq also issued production orders for the ten members of PTI to ensure their presence in the national assembly session.

It is pertinent to mention here that the law enforcement agencies had arrested several PTI leaders, including chairman Barrister Gohar, on Sunday.

Later, the lower house witnessed the heated argument from the opposition and treasury benches. The arrests were described as an ‘attack on parliament’.

However, in the aftermath of LEAs entry into the Assembly with intentions of arresting MNAs, the speaker suspended the house’s sergeant at Arm (BPS-20), Muhammad Ishfaq Ashraf and four other security officials for the security breach.

“During the period of suspension, Ashraf will be entitled to draw pay and allowances as admissible under the application rules,” the order read.